:>;:?.. .:-'!'. 

?y? 


HI 

HfflllMlffllffl 

Halm 


m 


Ex  Libris 


F.  B.  F.   HARDISON 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 


tOt  CALIF.  LIBRiiY,  LOS  AMCEJS 


Captain  Warren  had  risen  from  his  chair  and  was  facing  her. 


[Page  48.] 


Cap'n  Warren's 
Wards 

By  JOSEPH  C.  LINCOLN 


Author  of  "The  Depot  Master,"  "The  Woman  Haters' 
"The  Postmaster,"   "Cap'n  Erie," 
"Mr.  Pratt,"  etc. 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS 
BY  EDMUND  FREDERICK 


A  L.  BURT   COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS  NEW  YORK 


CorvwcHT,  1911,  BY 
D.   APPLETON  AND  COMPANY 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


CHAPTER  I 

O  STABLE !  "  screamed  the  brakeman,  opening 
the  car  door  and  yelling  his  loudest,  so  as  to  be 
heard  above  the  rattle  of  the  train  and  the 
shriek  of  the  wind  ;  "  Ostable !  " 

The  brakeman's  cap  was  soaked  through,  his  hair  was 
plastered  down  on  his  forehead,  and,  in  the  yellow  light 
from  the  car  lamps,  his  wet  nose  glistened  as  if  var 
nished.  Over  his  shoulders  the  shiny  ropes  of  rain 
whipped  and  lashed  across  the  space  between  the  cars. 
The  windows  streamed  as  each  succeeding  gust  flung  its 
miniature  freshet  against  them. 

The  passengers  in  the  car  —  there  were  but  four  of 
them  —  did  not  seem  greatly  interested  in  the  brake 
man's  announcement.  The  red-faced  person  in  the  seat 
nearest  the  rear  slept  soundly,  as  he  had  done  for  the 
last  hour  and  a  half.  He  had  boarded  the  train  at 
Brockton,  and,  after  requesting  the  conductor  not  to 
"  lemme  me  git  by  Bayport,  Bill,"  at  first  favored  his 
fellow  travelers  with  a  song  and  then  sank  into 
slumber. 

The  two  elderly  men  sitting  together  on  the  right- 
hand  side  of  the  car  droned  on  in  their  apparently 
endless  Jeremiad  concerning  the  low  price  of  cran 
berries,  the  scarcity  of  scallops  on  the  flats,  the  rea 
sons  why  the  fish  weirs  were  a  failure  nowadays,  and 

i 

2131185 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

similar  cheerful  topics.  And  in  his  seat  on  the  left, 
Mr.  Atwood  Graves,  junior  partner  in  the  New  York 
firm  of  Sylvester,  Kuhn  and  Graves,  lawyers,  stirred 
uneasily  on  the  lumpy  plush  cushion,  looked  at  his 
watch,  then  at  the  time-table  in  his  hand,  noted  that  the 
train  was  now  seventy-two  minutes  late,  and  for  at 
least  the  fifteenth  time  mentally  cursed  the  railway 
company,  the  whole  of  Cape  Cod  from  Sandwich  to 
Provincetown,  and  the  fates  which  had  brought  him 
there. 

The  train  slowed  down,  in  a  jerky,  hiccoughy  sort  of 
way,  and  crept  on  till  the  car  in  which  Mr.  Graves  was 
seated  was  abreast  the  lighted  windows  of  a  small  sta 
tion,  where  it  stopped.  Peering  through  the  water- 
streaked  pane  at  the  end  of  his  seat,  the  lawyer  saw  dim- 
silhouettes  of  uncertain  outline  moving  about.  They 
moved  with  provoking  slowness.  He  felt  that  it  would 
be  joy  unspeakable  to  rush  out  there  and  thump  them 
into  animation.  The  fact  that  the  stately  Atwood 
Graves  even  thought  of  such  an  undignified  proceeding 
is  sufficient  indication  of  his  frame  of  mind. 

Then,  behind  the  door  which  the  brakeman,  after  an 
nouncing  the  station,  had  closed  again,  sounded  a  big 
laugh.  The  heartiness  of  it  grated  on  Mr.  Graves's 
nerves.  What  idiot  could  laugh  on  such  a  night  as  this 
aboard  a  train  over  an  hour  late  ? 

The  laugh  was  repeated.  Then  the  door  was  flung 
briskly  open,  and  a  man  entered  the  car.  He  was  a  big 
man,  broad-shouldered,  inclined  to  stoutness,  wearing  a 
cloth  cap  with  a  visor,  and  a  heavy  ulster,  the  collar  of 
which  was  turned  up.  Through  the  gap  between  the  open 
ends  of  the  collar  bristled  a  short,  grayish  beard.  The  face 
above  the  beard  and  below  the  visor  was  sunburned,  with 
little  wrinkles  about  the  eyes  and  curving  lines  from  the 

2 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

nostrils  to  the  corners  of  the  mouth.  The  upper  lip 
was  shaved,  and  the  eyebrows  were  heavy  and  grayish 
black.  Cap,  face,  and  ulster  were  dripping  with  water. 

The  newcomer  paused  in  the  doorway  for  an  instant, 
evidently  to  add  the  finishing  touch  to  a  conversation 
previously  begun. 

"  Well,  I  tell  you,  Ezra,"  he  called,  over  his  shoulder, 
"  if  it's  too  deep  to  wade,  maybe  I  can  swim.  Fat  floats, 
they  tell  me,  and  Abbie  says  I'm  gettin'  fleshier  every 
day.  So  long." 

He  closed  the  door  and,  smiling  broadly,  swung  down, 
the  aisle.  The  pair  of  calamity  prophets  broke  off  their 
lament  over  the  declining  fisheries  and  greeted  him  al 
most  jovially. 

"  Hello,  Cap'n !  "  cried  one.  "  What's  the  south  shore 
doin'  over  here  in  this  flood  ?  " 

"What's  the  matter,  Cap'n?"  demanded  the  other. 
"  Broke  loose  from  your  moorin's,  have  you  ?  Did  you 
ever  see  such  a  night  in  your  life?  " 

The  man  in  the  ulster  shook  hands  with  each  of  his 
questioners,  removing  a  pair  of  wet,  heavy  leather  gloves 
as  he  did  so. 

"  Don't  know's  I  ever  did,  Dan,"  he  answered. 
"  Couldn't  see  much  of  this  one  but  its  color  —  and 
that's  black.  I  come  over  this  mornin'  to  attend  to  some 
business  at  the  court-house  —  deeds  to  some  cranberry 
bog  property  I  just  bought  —  and  Judge  Baxter  made 
me  go  home  with  him  to  dinner.  Stayed  at  his  house 
all  the  afternoon,  and  then  his  man,  Ezra  Hallett,  under 
took  to  drive  me  up  here  to  the  depot  Talk  about  blind 
pilotin'!  Whew!  The  Judge's  horse  was  a  new  one, 
not  used  to  the  roads,  Ezra's  near-sighted,  and  I  couldn't 
use  my  glasses  'count  of  the  rain.  Let  alone  that,  'twas 
darker'n  the  fore-hold  of  Noah's  ark.  Ho,  ho!  Some- 

3 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

times  we  was  in  the  ruts  and  sometimes  we  was  in  the 
bushes.  I  told  Ez  we'd  ought  to  have  fetched  along  a 
dipsy  lead,  then  maybe  we  could  get  our  bearin's  by 
soundin's.  '  Couldn't  see  'em  if  we  did  get  'em,'  says 
he.  '  No/  says  I,  '  but  we  could  taste  'em.  Man  that's 
driven  through  as  much  Ostable  mud  as  you  have  ought 
to  know  the  taste  of  every  road  in  town.'  " 

"  Well,  you  caught  the  train,  anyhow,"  observed  Dan. 

"  Yup.  If  we'd  been  crippled  as  well  as  blind  we 
could  have  done  that."  He  seated  himself  just  in  front 
of  the  pair  and  glanced  across  the  aisle  at  Mr.  Graves, 
to  find  the  latter  looking  intently  at  him. 

"  Pretty  tough  night,"  he  remarked,  nodding. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  lawyer  briefly.  He  did  -not  en 
courage  conversation  with  casual  acquaintances.  The 
latest  arrival  had  caught  his  attention  because  there  was 
something  familiar  about  him.  It  seemed  to  Graves  that 
he  must  have  seen  him  before;  and  yet  that  was  very 
improbable.  This  was  the  attorney's  first  visit  to  Cape 
Cod,  and  he  had  already  vowed  devoutly  that  it  should 
be  his  last.  He  turned  a  chilling  shoulder  to  the  trio 
opposite  and  again  consulted  the  time-table.  Denboro 
was  the  next  station ;  then  —  thank  the  Lord  —  South 
Denboro,  his  destination. 

Conversation  across  the  aisle  was  brisk,  and  its  sub 
jects  were  many  and  varied.  Mr.  Graves  became  aware, 
more  or  less  against  his  will,  that  the  person  called 
"  Cap'n  "  was,  if  not  a  leader  in  politics  and  local  affairs, 
still  one  whose  opinions  counted.  Some  of  those 
opinions,  as  given,  were  pointed  and  dryly  descriptive ; 
as,  for  instance,  when  a  certain  town-meeting  candidate 
was  compared  to  a  sculpin  — "  with  a  big  head  that  sort 
of  impresses  you,  till  you  get  close  enough  to  realize  it 
has  to  be  big  to  make  room  for  so  much  mouth." 

4 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Graves,  who  was  fond  of  salt  water  fishing,  knew  what  a 
sculpin  was,  and  appreciated  the  comparison. 

The  conductor  entered  the  car  and  stopped  to  collect 
a  ticket  from  his  new  passenger.  It  was  evident  that 
he,  too,  was  acquainted  with  the  latter. 

"  Evening,  Cap'n,"  he  said,  politely.  "  Train's  a  little 
late  to-night." 

"It  is  —  for  to-night's  train,"  was  the  prompt  re 
sponse,  "  but  if  it  keeps  on  at  the  rate  it's '  travelin' 
now,  it'll  be  a  little  early  for  to-morrow  mornin's,  won't 
it?" 

The  conductor  laughed.  "  Guess  you're  right,"  he 
said.  "  This  is  about  as  wet  a  storm  as  I've  run  through 
since  I've  been  on  the  road.  If  we  get  to  Provincetown 
without  a  washout  we'll  be  lucky  .  .  .  Well,  we've 
made  another  hitch.  So  far,  so  good." 

The  brakeman  swung  open  the  door  to  shout,  "  Den- 
boro !  Denboro !  "  the  conductor  picked  up  his  lantern 
and  hurried  away,  the  locomotive  whistled  hoarsely,  and 
the  train  hiccoughed  alongside  another  little  station.  Mr. 
Graves,  peering  through  his  window,  imagined  that  here 
the  silhouettes  on  the  platform  moved  more  briskly. 
They  seemed  almost  excited.  He  inferred  that  Den 
boro  was  a  bigger  and  more  wide-awake  village  than 
Ostable. 

But  he  was  mistaken.  The  reason  for  the  excitement 
was  made  plain  by  the  conductor  a  moment  afterwards. 
That  official  entered  the  car,  removed  his  uniform  cap, 
and  rubbed  a  wet  forehead  with  a  wetter  hand. 

"  Well,  gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  I've  been  expecting  it, 
and  here  it  is.  Mark  me  down  as  a  good  prophet,  will 
you?  There's  a  washout  a  mile  further  on,  and  a  tele 
graph  pole  across  the  track.  It's  blowing  great  guns  and 
raining  pitchforks.  It'll  be  out  of  the  question  for  us 

5 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

to  go  forward  before  daylight,  if  then.  Darn  a  railroad 
man's  job  anyhow !  " 

Five  minutes  later  Mr.  Graves  descended  the  steps  of 
the  car,  his  traveling  bag  in  one  hand  and  an  umbrella 
in  the  other.  As  soon  as  both  feet  were  securely  planted 
on  the  platform,  he  put  down  the  bag  to  wrestle  with 
the  umbrella  and  the  hurricane,  which  was  apparently 
blowing  from  four  directions  at  once.  Feeling  his  hat 
leaving  his  head,  he  became  aware  that  the  umbrella  had 
turned  inside  out.  He  threw  the  wreck  violently  under 
the  train  and  stooped  to  pick  up  the  bag.  The  bag  was 
no  longer  there. 

"  It's  all  right,"  said  a  calm  voice  behind  him.  "  I've 
got  your  satchel,  neighbor.  Better  beat  for  harbor, 
hadn't  we?  Here!  this  way." 

The  bewildered  New  Yorker  felt  his  arm  seized  in  a 
firm  grip,  and  he  was  rushed  across  the  platform, 
through  a  deluge  of  wind-driven  water,  and  into  a  small, 
hot,  close-smelling  waiting  room.  When  he  pushed  his 
hat  clear  of  his  eyes  he  saw  that  his  rescuer  was  the  big 
man  who  boarded  the  train  at  Ostable.  He  was  holding 
the  missing  bag  and  smiling. 

"  Dirty  weather,  hey  ? "  he  observed,  pleasantly. 
"  Sorry  your  umbrella  had  to  go  by  the  board.  I  see  you 
was  carryin'  too  much  canvas  and  tried  to  run  alongside 
in  time  to  give  you  a  tow;  but  you  was  dismasted  just 
as  I  got  there.  Here's  your  dunnage,  all  safe  and 
sound." 

He  extended  the  traveling  bag  at  arm's  length.  Mr. 
Graves  accepted  his  property  and  murmured  thanks,  not 
too  cordially.  His  dignity  and  temper  had  gone  over 
board  with  the  umbrella,  and  he  had  not  yet  recovered 
them. 

"  Well,"  went  on  his  companion,  "  here  we  are !  And 

6 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

I,  for  one,  wanted  to  be  somewheres  else.  Caleb,"  turn 
ing  to  the  station  master,  who  came  in  at  that  moment, 
"  any  way  of  my  gettin'  home  to-night?  " 

"  'Fraid  not,  Cap'n,"  was  the  answer.  "  I  don't  know 
of  any.  Guess  you'll  have  to  put  up  at  the  hotel  and 
wait  till  mornin'." 

"  That's  right,"  agreed  the  passenger  called  "  Dan," 
who  was  standing  near.  "  That's  what  Jerry  and  I  are 
goin'  to  do." 

"  Yes,  but  you  and  Jerry  are  bound  for  Orham.  I'm 
booked  for  South  Denboro,  and  that's  only  seven  miles 
off.  I'd  swim  the  whole  seven  rather  than  put  up  at 
Sim  Titcomb's  hotel.  I've  been  there  afore,  thank  you ! 
Look  here,  Caleb,  can't  I  hire  a  team  and  drive  over?  " 

"  Well,  I  don't  know.  S'pose  you  might  ring  up  Pete 
Shattuck  and  ask  him.  He's  pretty  particular  about  his 
horses,  though,  and  I  cal'late  he  — " 

"  All  right.  I'll  ring  him  up.  Pete  ought  to  get  over 
some  of  his  particularness  to  oblige  me.  I've  helped 
him  once  or  twice." 

He  was  on  his  way  to  the  ticket  office,  where  the  tele 
phone  hung  on  the  wall.  But  Mr.  Graves  stepped  for 
ward  and  spoke  to  him. 

"  Excuse  me,  sir,"  said  the  lawyer.  "  Did  I  under 
stand  you  to  say  you  were  going  to  South  Denboro  ?  " 

"  Yes.  I  am,  if  the  powers  —  and  Pete  Shattuck 
—'11  let  me." 

"  You  were  going  to  drive  over  ?  May  I  go  with 
you?  I'm  very  anxious  to  get  to  South  Denboro  to 
night.  I  have  some  very  important  business  there,  and 
I  want  to  complete  it  and  get  away  to-morrow.  I  must 
be  back  in  New  York  by  the  morning  following." 

The  captain  looked  his  questioner  over.  There  was  a 
doubtful  look  on  his  face,  and  he  smiled  quizzically. 

7 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 


"  Well,  I  don't  know,  Mr. " 

"  Graves  is  my  name." 

"  I  don't  know,  Mr.  Graves.  This  ain't  goin'  to  be  a 
pleasure  cruise  exactly.  You  might  get  pretty  wet." 

"  I  don't  care.  I  can  get  dry  again  when  I  get  there. 
Of  course  I  shall  share  the  expense  of  the  livery.  I 
shall  be  greatly  obliged  if  I  may  go  with  you.  If  not, 
I  must  try  for  a  rig  myself." 

"  Oh,  if  you  feel  that  way  about  it,  why,  come  ahead 
and  welcome.  I  was  only  warnin'  you,  that's  all.  How 
ever,  with  me  aboard  for  ballast,  I  guess  we  won't  blow 
away.  Wait  a  jiffy  till  I  get  after  Pete." 

He  entered  the  ticket  office  and  raised  a  big  hand  to 
the  little  crank  of  the  telephone  bell. 

"  Let's  see,  Caleb,"  he  called ;  "  what's  Shattuck's 
number?  " 

"  Four  long  and  two  short,"  answered  the  station 
master. 

Graves,  wondering  vaguely  what  sort  of  telephone 
system  was  in  use  on  Cape  Cod,  heard  his  prospective 
pilot  ring  the  instrument  for  a  full  two  seconds,  repeat 
ing  the  ring  four  times  altogether.  This  he  followed 
with  two  sharp  tinkles.  Then  came  a  series  of  shouted 
"  Helios !  "  and,  at  last,  fragments  of  one-half  of  a  dia 
logue. 

"  That  you,  Shattuck  ?  Know  who  this  is,  don't  you  ? 
.  .  .  Yes,  that's  right  .  .  .  Say,  how  many  folks 
listen  every  time  a  bell  rings  on  this  line?  I've  heard 
no  less'n  eight  receivers  come  down  so  far  .  .  . 
Two  of  'em  went  up  then,  did  you  hear  'em?  .  .  . 
Sartin  ...  I  want  to  hire  a  team  to  go  over  home 
with  .  .  .  To-night  —  Sartin  ...  I  don't  care 
.  .  .  Yes,  you  will,  too  .  .  .  Yes,  you  will 
.  .  .  Send  my  man  back  with  it  to-morrow  .  .  . 

8 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

I    don't    care    what    it    is,    so    it's    got    four    legs    and 
wheels     .     .     ." 

And  so  on  for  at  least  five  minutes.  Then  the  cap 
tain  hung  up  the  receiver  and  came  back  to  the  waiting 
room. 

"  Bargain's  made,  Mr.  Graves,"  he  announced. 
"  Pete'll  have  some  sort  of  a  turn-out  alongside  soon's 
he  can  get  it  harnessed.  If  you've  got  any  extra  storm 
duds  in  that  satchel  of  yours,  I'd  advise  you  to  put  'em 
on.  We're  goin'  to  have  a  rough  passage." 

Just  how  rough  it  was  likely  to  be,  Graves  realized 
when  he  emerged  from  the  station  to  board  the  Shat- 
tuck  buggy.  "  Pete  "  himself  had  driven  the  equipage 
over  from  the  livery  stable. 

"  I  wouldn't  do  this  for  anybody  but  you,  Cap'n,"  he 
vouchsafed,  in  what  might  be  called  a  reproachful  shout. 
Shouting  was  necessary,  owing  to  the  noise  of  the 
storm, 

"  Wouldn't  do  what  ? "  replied  the  captain,  looking 
first  at  the  ancient  horse  and  then  at  the  battered  buggy. 

"  Let  this  horse  out  a  night  like  this." 

"  Humph !  I  should  think  night  would  be  the  only 
time  you  would  let  him  out.  .  .  .  There !  there ! 
never  mind.  Get  aboard,  Mr.  Graves.  Put  your  satchel 
on  the  floor  between  your  feet.  Here,  let  me  h'ist  that 
boot  for  you." 

The  "  boot "  was  a  rubber  curtain  buttoned  across 
the  front  of  the  buggy,  extending  from  the  dashboard 
to  just  below  the  level  of  the  driver's  eyes.  The  lawyer 
clambered  in  behind  it,  the  captain  followed,  the  end  of 
the  reins  was  passed  through  a  slit  in  the  boot,  Mr. 
Shuttuck,  after  inquiring  if  they  were  "  all  taut,"  gave 
the  command,  "  Gid-dap !  "  and  horse  and  buggy  moved 
around  the  corner  of  the  station,  out  into  darkness. 

9 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Of  the  next  hour  Graves's  memories  are  keen  but 
monotonous, —  a  strong  smell  of  stable,  arising  from  the 
laprobe  which  had  evidently  been  recently  used  as  a 
horse  blanket ;  the  sound  of  hoofs,  in  an  interminable 
"jog,  jog  —  splash,  splash,"  never  hurrying;  a  series 
of  exasperated  howls  from  the  captain,  who  was  doing 
his  best  to  make  them  hurry;  the  thunderous  roar  of 
rain  on  the  buggy  top  and  the  shrieking  gale  which 
rocked  the  vehicle  on  its  springs  and  sent  showers  of 
fine  spray  driving  in  at  every  crack  and  crevice  between 
the  curtains. 

The  view  ahead,  over  the  boot,  was  blackness,  bor 
dered  by  spidery  trees  and  branches  whipping  in  the 
wind.  Occasionally  they  passed  houses  sitting  well  back 
from  the  road,  a  lighted  window  gleaming  cozily.  And 
ever,  as  they  moved,  the  storm  seemed  to  gather  force. 

Graves  noticed  this  and,  at  length,  when  his  nervous 
ness  had  reached  the  breaking  point,  screamed  a  ques 
tion  in  his  companion's  ear.  They  had  attempted  no 
conversation  during  the  ride,  the  lawyer,  whose  con 
temptuous  opinion  of  the  locality  and  all  its  inhabitants 
was  now  a  conviction,  feeling  that  the  result  would  not 
be  worth  the  effort,  and  the  captain  busy  with  his  driv 
ing. 

"  It  is  blowing  worse  than  ever,  isn't  it  ?  "  yelled  the 
nervous  Graves. 

"  Hey?  No,  just  about  the  same.  It's  dead  sou'-west 
and  we're  getting  out  of  the  woods,  that's  all.  Up  on 
tfiose  bare  hills  we  catch  the  full  force  of  it  right  off  the 
Sound.  Be  there  pretty  soon  now,  if  this  Old  Hundred 
of  a  horse  would  quit  walkin'  in  his  sleep  and  really 
move.  Them  lights  ahead  are  South  Denboro." 

The  lights  were  clustered  at  the  foot  of  a  long  and 
rather  steep  hill.  Down  the  declivity  bounced  and  rocked 

10 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

the  buggy.  The  horse's  hoofs  sounded  hollow  on  the 
planks  of  a  bridge.  The  road  narrowed  and  became  a 
village  street,  bordered  and  arched  by  tall  trees  which 
groaned  and  threshed  in  the  hurricane.  The  rain,  as  it 
beat  in  over  the  boot,  had,  so  the  lawyer  fancied,  a  salty 
taste. 

The  captain  bent  down.  "  Say,  Mister,"  he  shouted, 
"  where  was  it  you  wanted  to  stop  ?  Who  is  it  you're 
lookin'  for?" 

"What?" 

"  I  say  —  Heavens  to  Betsy !  how  that  wind  does 
screech !  —  I  say  where'bouts  shall  I  land  you.  This 
is  South  Denboro.  Whose  house  do  you  want  to  go 
to?" 

"  I'm  looking  for  one  of  your  leading  citizens.  Elisha 
Warren  is  his  name." 

"What?" 

"  Elisha  Warren.     I  — " 

He  was  interrupted.  There  was  a  sharp  crack  over 
head,  followed  by  a  tremendous  rattle  and  crash.  Then 
down  upon  the  buggy  descended  what,  to  Graves,  ap 
peared  to  be  an  avalanche  of  scratching,  tearing  twigs 
and  branches.  They  ripped  away  the  boot  and  laprobe 
and  jammed  him  back  against  the  seat,  their  sharp 
points  against  his  breast.  The  buggy  was  jerked  for 
ward  a  few  feet  and  stopped  short. 

He  heard  the  clatter  of  hoofs  and  shouts  of  "  Whoa !  " 
and  "  Stand  still !  "  He  tried  to  rise,  but  the  tangle  of 
twigs  before  him  seemed  impenetrable,  so  he  gave  it  up 
and  remained  where  he  was.  Then,  after  an  interval, 
came  a  hail  from  the  darkness. 

"  Hi,  there !     Mr.  Graves,  ahoy !     Hurt,  be  you  ?  " 

"  No,"  the  lawyer's  tone  was  doubtful.     "  No  —  o,  I 
—  I  guess  not.     That  you,  Captain  ?  " 
2  ii 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Yes,  it's  me.  Stand  still,  you  f oolhead !  Quit  your 
hoppin'  up  and  down ! "  These  commands  were  evi 
dently  addressed  to  the  horse.  "  Glad  you  ain't  hurt. 
Better  get  out,  hadn't  you  ?  " 

"I  —  I'm  not  sure  that  I  can  get  out.  What  on  earth 
has  happened  ?  " 

"  Tree  limb  carried  away.  Lucky  for  us  we  got  the 
brush  end,  'stead  of  the  butt.  Scooch  down  and  see  if 
you  can't  wriggle  out  underneath.  I  did." 

Mr.  Graves  obediently  "  scooched."  After  a  struggle 
he  managed  to  slide  under  the  tangle  of  branches  and. 
at  length,  stood  on  his  feet  in  the  road  beside  the  buggy. 
The  great  limb  had  fallen  across  the  street,  its  heavy  end 
near  the  walk.  As  the  captain  had  said,  it  was  for 
tunate  for  the  travelers  that  the  "  brush "  only  had 
struck  the  carriage. 

Graves  found  his  companion  standing  at  the  horse's 
head,  holding  the  frightened  animal  by  the  bridle.  The 
rain  was  descending  in  a  flood. 

"  Well !  "  gasped  the  agitated  New  Yorker.  "  I'll  be 
hanged  if  this  isn't — " 

"  Ain't  it  ?  But  say,  Mr.  Graves,  w ho  did  you  say 
you  was  comin'  to  see  ?  " 

"  Oh,  a  person  named  Elisha  Warren.  He  lives  in  this 
forsaken  hole  somewhere,  I  believe.  If  I  had  known 
what  an  experience  I  must  go  through  to  reach  him, 
I'd  have  seen  him  at  the  devil." 

From  the  bulky  figure  at  the  horse's  head  came  a 
chuckle. 

"  Humph !  Well,  Mr.  Graves,  if  the  butt  of  that  limb 
had  fetched  us,  instead  of  t'other  end,  I  don't  know  but 
you  might  have  seen  him  there.  I'm  Elisha  Warren, 
and  that's  my  house  over  yonder  where  the  lights  are." 


CHAPTER  II 

THIS  is  your  room,  Mr.  Graves,"  said  Miss 
Abigail  Baker,  placing  the  lighted  lamp  on 
the  bureau.  "  And  here's  a  pair  of  socks 
and  some  slippers.  They  belong  to  Elisha  —  Cap'n 
Warren,  that  is  —  but  he's  got  more.  Cold  water  and 
towels  and  soap  are  on  the  washstand  over  yonder;  but 
I  guess  you've  had  enough  cold  water  for  one  night, 
There's  plenty  hot  in  the  bathroom  at  the  end  of  the  halL 
After  you  change  your  wet  things,  just  leave  'em  spread 
out  on  the  floor.  I'll  come  fetch  'em  by  and  by  and 
hang  'em  to  dry  in  the  kitchen.  Come  right  downstairs 
when  you're  ready.  Anything  else  you  want?  No? 
All  right  then.  You  needn't  hurry.  Supper's  waited 
an  hour  'n'  a  half  as  'tis.  'Twon't  hurt  it  to  wait  a  spell 
longer." 

She  went  away,  closing  the  door  after  her.  The  be 
wildered,  wet  and  shivering  New  Yorker  stared  about 
the  room,  which,  to  his  surprise,  was  warm  and  cozy. 
The  warmth  was  furnished,  so  he  presently  discovered, 
by  a  steam  radiator  in  the  corner.  Radiators  and  a  bath 
room!  These  were  modern  luxuries  he  would  have 
taken  for  granted,  had  Elisha  Warren  been  the  sort  of 
man  he  expected  to  find,  the  country  magnate,  the  lead 
ing  citizen,  fitting  brother  to  the  late  A.  Rodgers  War 
ren,  of  Fifth  Avenue  and  Wall  Street. 

But  the  Captain  Warren  who  had  driven  him  to  South' 
Denboro  in  the  rain  was  not  that  kind  of  man  at  all. 
His  manner  and  his  language  were  as  far  removed  from 

1.3 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

those  of  the  late  A.  Rodgers  as  the  latter's  brown  stone 
residence  was  from  this  big  rambling  house,  with  its 
deep  stairs  and  narrow  halls,  its  antiquated  pictures  and 
hideous,  old-fashioned  wall  paper;  as  far  removed  as 
Miss  Baker,  whom  the  captain  had  hurriedly  introduced 
as  "  my  second  cousin  keepin'  house  for  me,"  was  from 
the  dignified  butler  at  the  mansion  on  Fifth  Avenue. 
Patchwork  comforters  and  feather  beds  were  not,  in  the 
lawyer's  scheme  of  things,  fit  associates  for  radiators 
and  up-to-date  bathrooms.  And  certainly  this  par 
ticular  Warren  was  not  fitted  to  be  elder  brother  to  the 
New  York  broker  who  had  been  Sylvester,  Kuhn  and 
Graves'  client. 

It  could  not  be,  it  could  not.  There  must  be  some 
mistake.  In  country  towns  there  were  likely  to  be  sev 
eral  of  the  same  name.  There  must  be  another  Elisha 
Warren.  Comforted  by  this  thought,  Mr.  Graves 
•opened  his  valise,  extracted  therefrom  other  and  drier 
articles  of  wearing  apparel,  and  proceeded  to  change  his 
clothes. 

Meanwhile,  Miss  Abigail  had  descended  the  stairs  to 
the  sitting  room.  Before  a  driftwood  fire  in  a  big  brick 
fireplace  sat  Captain  Warren  in  his  shirt-sleeves,  a  pair 
of  mammoth  carpet  slippers  on  his  feet,  and  the  said  feet 
stretched  luxuriously  out  toward  the  blaze. 

"  Abbie,"  observed  the  captain,  "  this  is  solid  com 
fort.  Every  time  I  go  away  from  home  I  get  into 
trouble,  don't  I?  Last  trip  I  took  to  Boston,  I  lost 
thirty  dollars,  and — " 

"Lost  it!"  interrupted  Miss  Baker,  tartly.  "Gave 
it  away,  you  mean."  , 

"  I  didn't  give  it  away.  I  lent  it.  Abbie,  you  ought 
to  know  the  difference  between  a  gift  and  a  loan." 

"I  do  —  when  there  is  any  difference.     But  if  lendin' 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Tim  Foster  ain't  givin'  it  away,  then  I  miss  my  guess." 

"Well,"  with  another  chuckle,  "Tim  don't  feel  that 
way.  He  swore  right  up  and  down  that  he  wouldn't 
take  a  cent  —  as  a  gift.  I  offered  to  make  him  a  pres 
ent  of  ten  dollars,  but  he  looked  so  shocked  that  I  apolo 
gized  afore  he  could  say  no." 

"  Yes,  and  then  lent  him  that  thirty.  Shocked !  The 
only  thing  that  would  shock  that  good-for-nothin'  is  bein' 
set  to  work.  What  possessed  you  to  be  such  a  soft 
head,  /  don't  know.  When  you  get  back  a  copper  of 
that  money  I'll  believe  the  millennium's  struck,  that's 
all." 

"Hum!  Well,  I'll  help  you  believe  it  — that  is,  if 
I  have  time  afore  I  drop  dead  of  heart  disease.  Abbie, 
you'd  make  a  good  lawyer;  you  can  get  up  an  argument 
out  of  a  perfect  agreement.  I  said  the  thirty  dollars 
was  lost,  to  begin  with.  But  I  knew  Tim  Foster's 
mother  when  she  used  to  think  that  boy  of  hers  was 
the  eighth  wonder  of  the  world.  And  I  promised  her 
I'd  do  what  I  could  for  him  long's  I  lived  .  .  .  But 
it  seems  to  me  we've  drifted  some  off  the  course,  ain't 
we?  What  I  started  to  say  was  that  every  time  I  go 
away  from  home  I  get  into  trouble.  Up  to  Boston  'twas 
Tim  and  his  '  loan/  To-night  it's  about  as  healthy  a 
sou'-wester  as  I've  ever  been  out  in.  Dan  fetched  in  the 
team,  has  he?  " 

"  Yes.  It's  in  the  stable.  He  says  the  buggy  dash 
is  pretty  well  scratched  up,  and  that  it's  a  wonder  you 
and  that  Graves  man  wa'n't  killed.  Who  is  he,  any 
how?" 

"  Land  knows,  I  don't." 

"  You  don't  know !     Then  what's  he  doin'  here  ?  " 

"  Changin'  his  duds,  I  guess.  That's  what  I'd  do  if  I 
looked  as  much  like  a  drowned  rat  as  he  did." 

15 


CAP'N  WARKEN'S  WARDS 

" 'Lisha  Warren!  if  you  ain't  the  most  provokin' 
thing!  Don't  be  so  unlikely.  You  know  what  I  mean. 
What's  he  come  here,  to  this  house,  for?" 

"  Don't  know,  Abbie.  I  didn't  know  he  was  comin' 
here  till  just  as  we  got  down  yonder  by  Emery's  cor 
ner.  I  asked  him  who  he  was  lookin'  for,  he  said 
'  Elisha  Warren/  and  then  the  tree  caved  in  on  us." 

"  'Lisha,  you  —  you  don't  s'pose  'twas  a  —  sign,  do 
you?" 

"Sign?" 

"  Yes,  a  sign,  a  prophecy-like,  a  warnin'  that  some- 
thin'  is  goin'  to  happen." 

The  captain  put  back  his  head  and  laughed. 

"  Sign  somethin'  had  happened,  I  should  think,"  he 
answered.  "  What's  goin'  to  happen  is  that  Pete 
Shuttuck'll  get  his  buggy  painted  free-for-nothin',  at 
my  expense.  How's  supper  gettin'  along?  Is  it 
ready?" 

"  Ready  ?  It's  been  ready  for  so  long  that  it'll  have 
to  be  got  ready  all  over  again  if  ...  Oh !  Come 
right  in,  Mr.  Graves !  I  hope  you're  drier  now." 

Captain  Warren  sprang  from  the  chair  to  greet  his 
visitor,  who  was  standing  in  the  doorway. 

"  Yes,  come  right  in,  Mr.  Graves,"  he  urged,  cor 
dially.  "  Set  down  by  the  fire  and  make  yourself  com- 
f 'table.  Abbie'll  have  somethin'  for  us  to  eat  in  a  jiffy. 
Pull  up  a  chair." 

The  lawyer  came  forward  hesitatingly.  The  doubts 
which  had  troubled  him  ever  since  he  entered  the  house 
were  still  in  his  mind. 

"  Thank  you,  Captain,"  he  said.  "  But  before  I  ac 
cept  more  of  your  hospitality  I  feel  I  should  be  sure 
there  is  no  mistake.  I  have  come  on  important  busi 
ness,  and  — " 

16 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Hold  on !  "  The  captain  held  up  a  big  hand.  "  Don't 
you  say  another  word,"  he  commanded.  "  There's  just 
one  business  that  interests  me  this  minute,  and  that's 
supper.  There's  no  mistake  about  that,  anyhow.  Did 
you  say  '  Come  ahead/  Abbie?  or  was  you  just  going  to? 
Good !  Right  into  the  dinin'  room,  Mr.  Graves." 

The  dining  room  was  long  and  low.  The  woodwork 
was  white,  the  floor  green  painted  boards,  with  braided 
rag  mats  scattered  over  them.  There  were  old-fashioned 
pictures  on  the  walls,  pictures  which  brought  shudders 
to  the  artistic  soul  of  Atwood  Graves.  A  broad  bay 
window  filled  one  side  of  the  apartment,  and  in  this 
window,  on  shelves  and  in  wire  baskets,  were  Miss 
Baker's  cherished  and  carefully  tended  plants.  As  for 
the  dining  table,  it  was  dark,  old-fashioned  walnut,  as 
were  the  chairs. 

"  Set  right  down  here,  Mr.  Graves,"  ordered  the  cap 
tain.  "  I'll  try  to  keep  you  supplied  with  solid  cargo, 
and  Abbie'll  'tend  to  the  moistenin'.  Hope  that  teapot 
is  full  up,  Abbie.  Hot  tea  tastes  good  after  you've  swal- 
lered  as  much  cold  rain  as  Mr.  Graves  and  I  have 
.  .  .  Father-we-thank-thee-for-these-mercies-set-be- 
fore-us-Amen  .  .  .  How's  your  appetite  when  it 
comes  to  clam  pie,  Mr.  Graves  ?  " 

Mr.  Graves's  appetite  was  good,  and  the  clam  pie  was 
good.  So,  too,  were  the  hot  biscuits  and  the  tea  and 
homemade  preserves  and  cake.  Conversation  during  the 
meal  was,  for  the  most  part,  a  monologue  by  the  cap 
tain.  He  gave  Miss  Baker  a  detailed  and  exaggerated 
account  of  his  adventures  in  Ostable,  on  board  the  train, 
and  during  the  drive  home.  The  housekeeper  listened, 
fidgeting  in  her  chair. 

"  'Lisha  Warren,"  she  interrupted,  "  how  you  do  talk ! 
Rainin'  so  hard  you  had  to  hold  the  reins  taut  to  keep 

17 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

the  horse's  head  out  of  water  so  he  wouldn't  drown! 
The  idea ! " 

"  Fact,"  asserted  Captain  Warren,  with  a  wink  at  his 
guest.  "  And  that  wa'n't  the  worst  of  it.  'Twas  so  dark 
I  had  to  keep  feelin'  the  buggy  with  my  foot  to  be  sure 
I  was  in  it.  Ain't  that  so,  Mr.  Graves  ?  .  .  .  Here ! 
Abbie  won't  like  to  have  you  set  lookin'  at  that  empty 
plate.  She's  always  afraid  folks'll  notice  the  gilt's 
wearin'  off.  Pass  it  over  quick,  and  let  me  cover  it  with 
some  more  pie." 

"  Yes,  and  have  some  more  tea,"  urged  Miss  Abbie. 
"  You  mustn't  pay  attention  to  what  he  says,  Mr. 
Graves,"  she  went  on.  "  Some  day  he'll  tell  the  truth 
by  accident,  and  then  I'll  know  it's  time  to  send  for 
the  doctor." 

Several  times  the  lawyer  attempted  to  mention  the 
business  which  had  brought  him  to  the  Cape,  and  the 
probability  of  his  having  made  a  mistake.  But  neither 
host  nor  housekeeper  would  listen. 

"  When  you've  been  in  South  Denboro  as  long  as  I 
have,"  declared  the  former,  "you'll  understand  that  the 
time  to  talk  business  is  when  you  can't  think  of  any 
thing  else.  Wait  till  we  get  into  the  settin'  room.  Ab 
bie,  those  six  or  eight  biscuits  I've  ate  are  gettin' 
lonesome.  I'll  take  another  for  sociability,  thank 
you." 

But,  at  last,  when  all  the  biscuits  but  one  were  gone, 
and  the  cake  plate  looked  like  the  Desert  of  Sahara,  the 
captain  pushed  back  his  chair,  rose,  and  led  the  way 
into  the  next  room.  Miss  Baker  remained  to  clear  the 
table. 

"  Set  down  by  the  fire,  Mr.  Graves,"  urged  the  cap 
tain.  "  Nothin'  like  burnin'  wood  to  look  hot  and  com- 
f 'table,  is  there?  It  don't  always  make  you  feel  that 

18 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

way  —  that's  why  I  put  in  hot  water  heat  —  but  for 
looks  and  sociableness  you  can't  beat  a  log  fire.  Smoke, 
do  you  ?  " 

"  Yes.     Occasionally.     But,   Captain   Warren  — " 

"  Here,  try  that.  It's  a  cigar  the  Judge  gave  me  over 
to  Ostable.  He  smokes  that  kind  reg'lar,  but  if  you 
don't  like  it,  throw  it  away.  He  ain't  here  to  see  you 
do  it,  so  you  won't  be  fined  for  contempt  of  court.  I'll 
stick  to  a  pipe,  if  you  don't  mind.  Now  we're  shipshape 
and  all  taut,  I  cal'late.  Let's  see,  you  wanted  to  talk 
business,  I  believe." 

"  Yes,  I  did.  But  before  I  begin  I  should  like  to  be 
sure  you  are  the  Elisha  Warren  I  came  from  New  York 
to  interview.  Is  there  another  of  that  name  in  Den- 
boro?" 

"  Um-hm.  There's  Warrens  a-plenty  all  through  this 
section  of  the  Cape.  Our  family  blew  ashore  here  a 
hundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  or  such  matter.  My  dad's 
name  was  Elisha;  so  was  my  grandfather's.  Both  sea 
cap'ns,  and  both  dead.  There's  another  Elisha  livin' 
over  on  the  shore  lane." 

"  Indeed.     Then  perhaps  it  is  he  I  want." 

"  P'raps.  He's  keeper  of  the  town  poorhouse.  I  can 
tell  you  better  if  you  give  me  an  idea  what  your  busi 
ness  is." 

"  I  am  an  attorney.  And  now  let  me  ask  another 
question,  please.  Have  you  —  had  you  a  brother  in  busi 
ness  in  New  York  ?  " 

"  Hey  ?  "  The  captain  turned  and  looked  his  guest 
squarely  in  the  eye.  His  brows  drew  together. 

"  I've  got  a  brother  in  New  York,"  he  answered, 
slowly.  "  Did  he  send  you  here  ?  " 

"  Was  your  brother's  name  A.  Rodgers  Warren  ?  " 

"'A.  Rodgers'?  No.  His  name  is  Abijah  Warren, 

19 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

and  —  Wait!     His    middle    name    is    Rodgers,    though. 
Did  'Bije  send  you  to  me  ?  " 

"  A  moment,  Captain.     Was  your  brother  a  broker  ?  " 

"  Yes.  His  office  is  —  or  used  to  be  on  Broad  Street. 
What  — " 

"  You  have  not  heard  from  him  for  some  time?  " 

"  Not  for  eighteen  years.  He  and  I  didn't  agree  as 
well  as  we  might  Maybe  'twas  my  fault,  maybe  'twas 
his.  I  have  my  own  ideas  on  that.  If  you're  lookin' 
for  'Bije  Warren's  brother,  Mr.  Graves,  I  guess  you've 
come  to  the  right  place.  But  what  he  sent  you  to  me 
for,  or  what  he  wants  —  for  he  wants  something  or  he 
wouldn't  have  sent  —  I  don't  understand." 

"Why  do  you  think  he  wanted  something?" 

"  Because  he's  'Bije  Warren,  and  I  was  brought  up 
with  him.  When  we  was  young  ones  together,  he  went 
to  school  and  I  went  to  work.  He  got  the  frostin'  on 
the  cake,  and  I  got  the  burnt  part  next  to  the  pan. 
He  went  to  college,  and  I  went  to  sea.  He  .  .  . 
However,  you  mustn't  think  I  find  fault  with  him  for 
ihat.  I  sp'iled  him  as  much  as  anybody,  I  guess. 
'Twas  later  on  that  we  ...  Well,  never  mind  that, 
either.  What  is  it  he  wants  of  me,  after  eighteen 
years  ?  " 

"  He  wants  a  good  deal  of  you,  Captain  Warren.  Or 
did  want  it." 

"  Did  ?     Don't  he  want  it  now  ?  "  * 

"  I  don't  know.  Captain,  I'm  surprised  that  you 
haven't  heard.  It  seems  that  I  am  the  bearer  of  bad 
news.  Your  brother — " 

"  Is  'Bije  dead?  " 

"  He  died  ten  days  ago  very  suddenly.  In  a  way  it 
was  a  great  shock  to  us  all,  yet  we  have  known  that  his 
heart  was  weak.  He  realized  it,  too." 

20 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"So  'Bije  is  dead,  hey?"  Captain  Elisha's  face  was 
very  grave,  and  he  spoke  slowly.  "  Dead !  Well,  well, 
well ! " 

He  paused  and  looked  into  the  fire.  Graves  saw 
again  that  vague  resemblance  he  had  caught  on  the  train, 
but  had  forgotten.  He  knew  now  why  he  noticed  it. 
Unlike  as  the  two  brothers  werej  unlike  in  almost  every 
way,  the  trace  of  family  likeness  was  there.  This  sun 
burned,  retired  captain  was  the  New  York  financier's 
elder  brother.  And  this  certainty  made  Mr.  Graves's 
errand  more  difficult,  and  the  cause  of  it  more  inex 
plicable. 

Captain  Elisha  cleared  his  throat. 

"Well,  well!"  he  sighed.  "So  'Bije  has  gone.  I 
s'pose  you  think  it's  odd,  maybe,"  he  went  on,  "  that  I 
ain't  more  struck  down  by  the  news.  In  a  way,  I  am, 
and,  in  a  way,  I'm  mighty  sorry,  too.  But,  to  speak 
truth,  he  and  I  have  been  so  apart,  and  have  had  nothin' 
to  do  with  each  other  for  so  long  that  —  that,  well,  I've 
come  to  feel  as  if  I  didn't  have  a  brother.  And  I  know 
he  felt  that  way.  Yes,  and  wanted  to  feel  so  —  I  know 
that." 

"  I  wouldn't  say  that,  if  I  were  you,"  observed  the 
lawyer,  gently.  "  I  think  you're  mistaken  there." 

"  I  ain't  mistaken.  Why,  look  here,  Mr.  Graves ! 
There  was  a  time  when  I'd  have  got  down  on  my  knees 
and  crawled  from  here  to  New  York  to  help  'Bije  War 
ren.  I  lent  him  money  to  start  in  business.  Later  on 
him  and  I  went  into  partnership  together  on  a  —  a  fool 
South  American  speculation  that  didn't  pan  out  for 
nothin'.  I  didn't  care  for  that.  I  took  my  chance  same 
as  he  did,  we  formed  a  stock  company  all  amongst  our 
selves,  and  I've  got  my  share  of  the  stock  somewhere 
yet  It  may  come  in  handy  if  I  ever  want  to  paper  the 

21 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

barn.  But  'twa'n't  business  deals  of  that  kind  that 
parted  us,  'twas  another  matter.  Somethin'  that  he  did 
to  other  folks  who'd  trusted  us  and  .  .  .  Humph ! 
this  don't  interest  you,  of  course  .  .  .  Well,  'Bije 
was  well  off,  I  know.  His  wife  died  way  back  in  the 
nineties.  She  was  one  of  them  fashionable  women,  and 
a  hayseed  salt-herrin'  of  a  bachelor  brother-in-law  stuck 
down  here  in  the  sandheaps  didn't  interest  her  much  — 
except  as  somethin'  to  forget,  I  s'pose.  I  used  to  see 
her  name  in  the  Boston  papers  occasionally,  givin' 
parties  at  Newport  and  one  thing  a'nother.  I  never 
envied  'em  that  kind  of  life.  I'm  as  well  fixed  as  I 
want  to  be.  Got  some  money  put  by  for  a  rainy  spell, 
com  f 'table  house  and  land,  best  town  on  earth  to  live 
in  and  work  for;  I'm  satisfied  and  always  have 
been.  I  wouldn't  change  for  nothin'.  But  I'm  nine 
year  older  than  'Bije  was  —  and  yet  I'm  left  alive. 
Hum!" 

"  Your  brother  had  two  children  by  his  marriage," 
said  Graves,  after  a  moment  of  silence. 

"Hey?  Two  children?  Why,  yes,  I  remember  he 
did.  Boy  and  girl,  wa'n't  they?  I  never  saw  'em. 
They've  growed  up  by  this  time,  of  course." 

"  Yes,  the  eldest,  Caroline,  is  nearly  twenty.  The 
boy,  Stephen,  is  a  year  younger.  It  is  concerning  those 
children,  Captain  Warren,  that  I  have  come  to  you." 

Captain  Elisha  turned  in  his  chair.  "Hey?"  he 
queried.  "  The  children  ?  You've  come  to  me  about 
'Bije's  children?" 

Graves  nodded.  "  Yes,"  he  answered,  solemnly. 
"  That  is  what  I  meant  by  saying  your  brother  had  not 
forgotten  you  or  wished  to  forget  you.  In  spite  of  the 
estrangement,  it  is  evident  that  his  confidence  in  your 
judgment  and  integrity  was  supreme.  His  children 

22 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

were  his  idols,  Captain  Warren,  and  he  has  left  them  in 
your  charge." 

The  captain's  pipe  fell  to  the  hearth. 

"  What? "  he  shouted.  "  Left  his  children  to  —  to 
me!  Mr.  Graves,  you're  —  you're  out  of  your  head  — 
or  I  am!" 

"  No,  I'm  perfectly  sane.  I  have  a  copy  of  the  will 
here,  and — " 

He  was  interrupted  by  Miss  Baker,  who  appeared  at 
the  door  of  the  dining  room.  "  Did  you  want  me, 
'Lisha  ?  "  she  asked. 

Her  employer  stared  at  her  in  a  dazed,  uncomprehend 
ing  way. 

"Want  you?"  he  repeated.     "Want  you?" 

"  Yes ;  I  heard  you  holler,  and  I  thought  p'raps  you 
was  callin'  me." 

"  Hey  ?  No,  I  don't  want  you,  Abbie.  .  .  .  Hol 
ler!  I  shouldn't  wonder!  If  all  I  did  was  holler,  I'm 
surprised  at  myself.  No,  no!  Run  along  out  and  shut 
the  door.  Yes,  shut  it.  ...  Now,  Mr.  Graves,  say 
that  over  again  and  say  it  slow." 

"  I  say  that  your  brother  has  left  his  two  children  in 
your  care  until  the  youngest  shall  become  of  age  — 
twenty-one.  I  have  a  copy  of  his  will  here,  and  — " 

"  Wait,  wait !  let  me  think.  Left  his  children  to  me ! 
.  .  .  to  me.  Mr.  Graves,  had  'Bije  lost  all  his 
money  ?  " 

"  No.  He  was  not  the  millionaire  that  many  thought 
him.  Miss  Warren  and  her  brother  will  be  obliged  to 
economize  somewhat  in  their  manner  of  living.  But, 
with  care  and  economy,  their  income  should  be  quite  suf 
ficient,  without  touching  the  principal,  to  — " 

"  Hold  on  again ;  the  income,  you  say.  What  is  that 
income  ?  " 

23 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Roughly  speaking,  a  mere  estimate,  about  twenty  to 
twenty-five  thousand  yearly." 

Captain  Elisha  had  stooped  to  pick  up  the  pipe  he  had 
•dropped.  His  fingers  touched  it,  but  they  did  not  close. 
Instead  he  straightened  up  in  his  chair  as  if  suffering 
from  an  electric  shock. 

"  Mr.    Graves,"   he   began ;    "  Mr.    Graves,   are   you 
era  — .     No,  I  asked  you  that  before.     But  —  but  twenty 
thousand  a  —  a  year !     For  mercy  sakes,  what's  the  prin 
cipal?" 

"  In  the  neighborhood  of  five  hundred  thousand,  I  be 
lieve.  Of  course,  we  had  no  authority  to  investigate 
thoroughly.  That  will  be  a  part  of  your  duties,  but — " 

"  S-shh !  Let  me  soak  this  into  my  brains  a  little  at  a 
time.  'Bije  leaves  his  children  five  hundred  thousand, 
half  a  million,  and  —  and  they've  got  to  economise! 
And  I'm  .  .  .  Would  you  mind  readin'  me  that 
will?" 

The  attorney  drew  a  long  envelope  from  his  pocket, 
extracted  therefrom  a  folded  document,  donned  a  pair 
of  gold-mounted  eyeglasses,  and  began  to  read  aloud. 

The  will  was  short  and  very  concise.  "  '  I,  Abijah 
Rodgers  Warren,  being  of  sound  mind  — '  " 

"  You're  sartin  that  part's  true,  are  you  ?  "  broke  in 
the  captain. 

Graves    nodded,    rather    impatiently,    and    continued. 
( '  Of  sound  mind,  memory  and  understanding,  do  make, 
publish  and  declare  this  to  be  my  last  will  and  testament, 
in  manner  following,  that  is  to  say:  — 

'  First :  —  I  direct  my  executor  hereinafter  named 
to  pay  my  just  debts  and  funeral  expenses  as  soon  as 
may  be  convenient  after  my  decease.'  " 

"  Did  he  owe  much,  think  likely  ? "  asked  Captain 
Elisha. 

24 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Apparently  not.  Very  little  beyond  the  usual  bills 
of  a  household." 

"  Yes,  yes.  Grocer  and  butcher  and  baker  and  such 
like.  Well,  I  guess  they  won't  have  to  put  in  a  keeper. 
Heave  ahead." 

" '  Second :  —  I  give,  devise  and  bequeath  all  my  es 
tate,  both  real  and  personal,  to  my  brother,  Elisha  War 
ren,  if  he  survive  — '  " 

The  captain  gasped.  "  To  me  ?  "  he  cried,  in  utter 
amazement.  "He  leaves  it  to  me?  'Bije  leaves  —  say, 
Mr.  Graves,  there's  some  mistake  here  somewhere,  sure  1 
And  besides,  you  said — " 

"  Just  a  minute,  Captain  Warren,  if  you  please.  If 
you'll  be  patient  and  not  interrupt,  I'll  try  to  make  the 
whole  matter  plain." 

"  Well,  if  you  can  do  that,  you'll  have  King  Solomon 
and  all  his  wisdom  beat  a  mile,  that's  all  I've  got  to  say. 
Go  on." 

" '  To  my  brother,  Elisha  Warren,  if  he  survive  me, 
in  trust,  nevertheless,  for  the  following  purpose,  to 
wit:  — 

'  To  invest  the  same  and  to  use  the  income  thereof 
for  the  education  and  maintenance  of  my  two  children, 
Caroline  Edgecombe  Warren  — '  " 

"Edgecombe?  Named  for  some  of  his  wife's  folks, 
I  presume  likely.  Excuse  me  for  puttin'  my  oar  in 
again.  Go  on." 

""'And  Stephen  Cole  Warren—'" 

"  That's  his  wife,  sartin.  She  was  a  Cole.  I  swan,  I 
beg  your  pardon." 

" '  Until  the  elder,  Caroline  Edgecombe  Warren,  shall 
have  reached  her  twenty-first  birthday,  when  one-half  of 
the  principal  of  said  estate,  together  with  one-half  of 
the  accumulated  interest,  shall  be  given  to  her,  and  the 

25 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

trust  continued  for  the  education  and  maintenance  of 
my  son,  Stephen  Cole  Warren,  until  he  shall  have  reached 
his  twenty-first  birthday,  when  I  direct  that  the  re 
mainder  be  given  to  him. 

"'Third:  —  I  appoint  as  testamentary  guardian  of 
my  said  children  my  said  brother,  Elisha  Warren. 

" '  Fourth :  —  I  appoint  as  sole  executor  of  this,  my 
last  will  and  testament,  my  said  brother,  Elisha  Warren. 

"  '  Fifth :  —  Imposing  implicit  trust  and  confidence  in 
Elisha  Warren,  my  brother,  I  direct  that  he  be  not  re 
quired  to  give  bond  for  the  performance  of  any  of  the 
affairs  or  trusts  to  which  he  has  been  herein  appointed/ 

"  The  remainder,"  concluded  Graves,  refolding  the 
will,  "  is  purely  formal.  It  is  dated  May  I5th,  three 
years  ago.  Your  brother,  Captain  Warren,  evidently 
realized,  although  no  one  else  seems  to  have  done  so,  the 
precarious  state  of  his  health,  and  prepared,  as  every 
careful  person  should,  for  the  great  emergency." 

The  attorney  removed  his  eyeglasses  and  rubbed  them 
with  his  handkerchief.  Captain  Elisha  sat  silent,  star 
ing  at  the  fire.  After  an  interval,  Graves  spoke  again. 

"  Of  course,  Captain,"  he  went  on,  "  my  errand  is  now 
plain.  I  come  to  acquaint  you  with  your  brother's  last 
wishes  and  to  ascertain  whether  or  not  you  are  willing 
to  accept  the  trust  and  responsibility  he  has  laid  upon 
you.  As  you  doubtless  know,  the  state  provides  a  legal 
rate  of  reimbursement  for  such  services  as  yours  will  — 
or  may  —  be.  Ahem !  " 

"  May  be  ?  You  mean  I  ain't  got  to  do  this  thing  un 
less  I  want  to  ?  " 

"  Certainly.  You  have  the  right  to  renounce  the  vari 
ous  appointments,  in  which  case  another  executor, 
trustee,  and  guardian  will  be  appointed.  I  realize,  and 
I'm  sure  that  your  brother's  children  will  realize,  your 

26 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

hesitance  in  assuming  such  a  responsibility  over  persons 
whom  you  have  never  even  met." 

"  Yes,  I  guess  we'll  all  realize  it ;  you  needn't  worry 
about  that.  Look  here,  do  the  children  know  I'm 
elected?" 

"  Yes.     Of  course,  the  will  has  been  read  to  them." 

"  Hum !  I  s'pose  likely  they  was  overcome  with  joy, 
wa'n't  they  ?  " 

Graves  bit  his  lip.  Remembering  the  comments  of 
Miss  Caroline  and  her  brother  when  they  learned  of  their 
uncle's  appointment,  he  had  difficulty  in  repressing  a 
smile. 

"  Well,"  he  replied,  slowly,  "  of  course,  one  could 
scarcely  expect  them  to  rejoice.  They  have  never  seen 
you.  In  fact,  I  doubt  if  either  of  them  knew  their  father 
had  a  brother,  living." 

"  Y-e-e-s.  That  part  don't  surprise  me.  But  the  rest 
of  it  does.  By  the  miracles  of  the  prophets !  the  rest  of 
it  does!  That  'Bije  —  'Bije  —  should  leave  his  children 
and  their  money  to  me  to  take  care  of  is  passin'  human 
belief,  as  our  old  minister  used  to  say —  .  .  . 
Humph!  I  s'pose  likely,  Mr.  Graves,  you'd  like  to 
have  me  say  yes  or  no  to  the  thing  while  you're  here, 
hey?" 

Graves  nodded.  "  It  would  be  well  to  do  so,"  he  said. 
"  The  settlement  of  the  estate  must  be  taken  in  hand  as 
soon  as  possible.  The  law  so  directs." 

"  Yes,  I  see  that.  Well,  what  would  you  advise  my 
doin'?" 

To  this  direct  question  the  lawyer  returned  a  non 
committal  answer. 

"  I'm  afraid  that  must  be  answered  by  yourself  alone, 
Captain  Warren,"  he  said.     "  Of  course,  the  acceptance 
of  the  trust  will  necessarily  inyolve  much  trouble  and  in- 
3  27 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

convenience,  especially  to  one  of  your  —  er  —  settled 
and  —  er  —  conservative  —  I  judge  merely  from  what 
you  have  said  —  your  conservative  habits.  The  estate  is 
large,  the  investments  are,  doubtless,  many  and  varied, 
and  the  labor  of  looking  into  and  investigating  them  may 
require  some  technical  skill  and  knowledge  of  finance. 
Yes." 

"Um-hm.  .  .  .  Well,  I  judge  that  that  kind  of 
skill  and  knowledge  could  be  hired,  if  a  feller  felt  like 
payin'  fair  wages ;  hey  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  yes.  Any  good  lawyer  could  attend  to  that, 
under  the  supervision  of  the  executor,  certainly.  But 
there  are  other  inconveniences  to  a  —  a  — " 

"  Country  jay  like  me.     I  understand.     Go  ahead." 

"  I  mean  that  you  would  probably  be  required  to  spend 
much,  or  all,  of  the  next  two  or  three  years  in  New 
York." 

"  Would,  hey  ?  I  didn't  know  but  bein'  as  a  guardian 
has  entire  charge  of  the  children  and  their  money  and 
all  —  I  understand  that's  what  he  does  have  —  he  could 
direct  the  children  fetched  down  to  where  he  lived,  if 
he  wanted  to.  Am  I  wrong  ?  " 

"  No,"  the  lawyer's  hesitancy  and  annoyance  was 
plainly  evident.  "  No-o.  Of  course,  that  might  be 
done.  Still,  I—" 

"  You  think  that  wouldn't  cause  no  more  rejoicin'  than 
some  other  things  have?  Yes,  yes;  I  cal'late  I  under 
stand,  Mr.  Graves.  Well,  I  guess  you'll  have  to  give 
me  to-night  to  chew  over  this.  I  guess  you  will.  It's 
come  on  me  so  sudden,  'Bije's  death  and  all,  that  I  want 
to  be  by  myself  and  think.  I  don't  want  to  seem  unso 
ciable  or  lackin'  in  hospitality.  The  whole  house  is  yours. 
Help  yourself  to  it.  But  when  I'm  caught  in  a  clove 
hitch,  I  just  have  to  set  down  and  think  myself  out  of  it 

28 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

I  have  to.  I  was  built  and  launched  that  way,  I  guess, 
and  maybe  you'll  excuse  me." 

"  Certainly,  Captain  Warren.  You're  quite  right  in 
wishing  to  deliberate  on  so  important  a  matter.  And, 
if  you  will  excuse  me  in  return,  I  believe  I  will  go  to  my 
room.  I've  had  a  rather  wearing  day." 

"  And  a  damp  evenin'.  Yes,  I'll  excuse  and  sympa 
thize  with  you,  too.  I'll  see  you  to  your  room,  and  I'll 
hope  you'll  have  consider'ble  more  sleep  than  I'm  likely 
to  get.  Abbie!  .  .  .  Abbie!  .  .  .  Fetch  Mr. 
Graves's  lamp,  won't  you,  please  ?  " 

It  was  after  two  the  next  morning  before  Captain 
Elisha  rose  from  his  chair  by  the  fire  and  entered  his 
bed  chamber.  Yet,  when  Atwood  Graves  came  down 
to  breakfast,  he  found  his  host  in  the  sitting  room  await 
ing  him. 

"  Afore  we  tackle  Abbie's  pancakes  and  fishballs,  Mr. 
Graves,"  said  the  captain,  "  let's  get  the  rest  of  that  will 
business  off  our  minds.  Then  we  can  have  the  pancakes 
to  take  the  taste  out  of  our  mouths,  as  you  might  say. 
And  let  me  ask  you  one  more  question.  This  —  er  —  er 
—  Caroline  and  Stephen,  they're  used  to  livin'  pretty 
well  —  fashionable  society,  and  the  like  of  that,  hey?  " 

"  Yes.  Their  home  was  on  Fifth  Avenue,  and  the 
family  moved  in  the  best  circles." 

"  Hum !  I  should  imagine  life  on  twenty-odd  thousand 
a  year  must  be  pretty  much  all  circles,  one  everlastin' 
'  turn  your  partners.'  Well,  Mr.  Graves,  my  circles  down 
here  are  consider'ble  smaller,  but  they  suit  me.  I'm 
worth  twenty-odd  thousand  myself,  not  in  a  year,  but  in 
a  lifetime.  I'm  selectman  and  director  in  the  bank  and 
trustee  of  the  church.  When  I  holler  '  Boo,'  the  South 
Denboro  folks  —  some  of  them,  anyhow  —  set  up  and 
take  notice.  I  can  lead  the  grand  march  down  in  this 

29 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

neighborhood  once  in  a  while,  and  I  cal'late  I'm  prettier 
leadin'  it  than  I  would  be  doin'  a  solitaire  jig  for  two 
years  on  the  outside  edge  of  New  York's  best  circles. 
And  I'm  mighty  sure  I'm  more  welcome.  Now  my  eye 
sight's  strong  enough  to  see  through  a  two-foot  hole 
after  the  plug's  out,  and  I  can  see  that  you  and  'Bije's 
children  won't  shed  tears  if  I  say  no  to  that  will.  No 
offense  meant,  you  know;  just  common  sense,  that's  all." 

This  was  plain  speaking.  Mr.  Graves  colored,  though 
he  didn't  mean  to,  and  for  once  could  not  answer  off 
hand. 

"  So,"  continued  the  captain,  "  I'll  ease  your  and  their 
minds  by  sayin'  that,  the  way  I  feel  now,  I  probably 
sha'n't  accept  the  trust.  I  probably  sha'n't.  But  I  won't 
say  sure  I  won't,  because  —  well,  because  'Bije  was  my 
brother;  he  was  that,  no  matter  what  our  diff'rences 
may  have  been.  And  I  know  —  I  know  that  there  must 
be  some  reason  bigger  than  '  implicit  trust '  and  the  other 
May-baskets  for  his  appointin'  me  in  his  will.  What 
that  reason  is  I  don't  know  —  yet." 

"  Then  you  intend  —  ?  "+ 

"  I  don't  know  what  I  intend  —  in  the  end.  But  for  a 
beginning  I  cal'late  to  run  down  to  New  York  some  time 
durin'  the  next  week,  take  a  cruise  'round,  and  sort  of 
look  things  over." 


CHAPTER  III 

IT'S  a  box  of  a  place,  though,  isn't  it,"  declared  Mr. 
Stephen  Warren,  contemptuously  glancing  about 
the  library  of  the  apartment.  "  A  box,  by  George ! 
I  think  it's  a  blooming  shame  that  we  have  to  put  up 
with  it,  Sis." 

Mr.  Warren  sprawled  in  the  most  comfortable  chair 
in  the  room,  was  looking  out  through  the  window,  across 
the  wind-swept  width  of  Central  Park  West,  over  the 
knolls  and  valleys  of  the  Park  itself,  now  bare  of  foliage 
and  sprinkled  with  patches  of  snow.  There  was  a  dis 
contented  look  on  his  face,  and  his  hands  were  jammed 
deep  in  his  trousers  pockets. 

His  sister,  Caroline,  sat  opposite  to  him,  also  looking 
out  at  the  December  landscape.  She,  too,  was  dis 
contented  and  unhappy,  though  she  tried  not  to  show 
it. 

"  Why  don't  you  say  something,"  snapped  Stephen, 
after  a  moment  of  silence.  "Isn't  it  a  box  of  a  place? 
Now  come." 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  young  lady,  without  looking  at  her 
brother.  "  Yes,  Steve,  I  suppose  it  is.  But  you  must 
remember  that  we  must  make  the  best  of  it.  I  always 
wondered  how  people  could  live  in  apartments.  Now 
I  suppose  I  shall  have  to  find  out." 

"  Well,  I  maintain  that  we  don't  have  to.  We  aren't 
paupers,  even  though  father  wasn't  so  well  fixed  as  ev 
eryone  thought.  With  management  and  care,  we  could 
have  stayed  in  the  old  house,  I  believe,  and  kept  up  ap- 

31 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

pearances,  at  least.  What's  the  use  of  advertising  that 
we're  broke?  " 

"  But,  Steve,  you  know  Mr.  Graves  said  — " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  know.  You  swallowed  every  word  Graves 
said,  Caro,  as  if  he  was  the  whole  book  of  Proverbs. 
By  George,  7  don't ;  I'm  from  Missouri." 

Mr.  Warren,  being  in  the  Sophomore  class  at  Yale, 
was  of  the  age  when  one  is  constitutionally  "  from  Mis 
souri."  Probably  King  Solomon,  at  sixty,  had  doubts 
concerning  the  scope  and  depth  of  his  wisdom ;  at  eight 
een  he  would  have  admitted  its  all-embracing  infalli 
bility  without  a  blush. 

"  I  tell  you,"  continued  Stephen,  "  there's  no  sense  in 
it,  Sis.  You  and  I  know  plenty  of  people  whose  incomes 
are  no  larger  than  ours.  Do  they  '  economize,'  as 
Graves  is  continually  preaching?  They  do  not,  publicly 
at  least.  They  may  save  a  bit,  here  and  there,  but  they 
do  it  where  it  doesn't  show  and  nobody  knows.  Take 
the  Blaisdells,  for  instance.  When  the  Sodality  Bank 
went  up,  and  old  Blaisdell  died,  everybody  said  the  fam 
ily  was  down  and  out.  They  must  have  lost  millions. 
But  did  they  move  into  '  apartments '  and  put  up  a 
placard,  *  Home  of  the  Dead-Brokes.  Walk  in  and  Sym 
pathize  ?  '  I  guess  they  didn't !  They  v/ent  into  mourn 
ing,  of  course,  and  that  let  them  out  of  entertaining  and 
all  that,  but  they  stayed  where  they  were  and  kept  up 
the  bluff.  That's  the  thing  that  counts  in  this  world  — 
keeping  up  the  bluff." 

"  Yes,  but  everyone  knows  they  are  —  bluffing,  as  you 
call  it" 

"  What  of  it?  They  don't  really  know,  they  only  sus 
pect.  And  I  met  Jim  Blaisdell  yesterday  and  he  shook 
my  hand,  after  I  had  held  it  in  front  of  his  eyes  where 
he  couldn't  help  seeing  it,  and  had  the  nerve  to  tell  me 

32 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

he  hoped  things  weren't  as  bad  with  us  as  he  had 
heard." 

"  I  never  liked  the  Blaisdells,"  declared  Caroline,  in 
dignantly. 

"  Neither  did  I.  Neither  do  most  people.  But  Jim  is 
just  as  much  in  the  swim  as  he  ever  was,  and  he's  got  his 
governor's  place  on  the  board  of  directors  at  the  bank, 
now  that  it's  reorganized,  and  an  office  down  town,  and 
he's  hand  and  glove  with  Von  Blarcom  and  all  the  rest. 
They  think  he's  a  promising,  plucky  young  man. 
They'll  help  his  bluff  through.  And  are  his  mother  and 
sister  dropped  by  the  people  in  their  set?  I  haven't 
noticed  it." 

"  Well,  Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn  told  me  that  everyone 
was  talking  about  the  Blaisdells  and  wondering  how  long 
they  could  keep  it  up.  And  the  newspapers  have  been 
printing  all  sorts  of  things,  and  hinting  that  young  Mr. 
Blaisdell's  appointment  as  director,  after  his  father 
wrecked  the  bank,  was  a  scandal.  At  least,  we  haven't 
that  to  bear  up  under.  Father  was  honest,  if  he  wasn't 
rich." 

"  Who  cares  for  the  newspapers  ?  They're  all  run  by 
demagogues  hunting  sensations.  What  makes  me  feel 
the  worst  about  all  this  is  that  Stock  Exchange  seat  of 
father's.  If  I  were  only  of  age,  so  that  I  could  go  down 
there  on  the  floor,  I  tell  you  it  wouldn't  be  long  before 
you  and  I  were  back  where  we  belong,  Sis.  But,  no,  I'm 
a  kid,  so  Graves  thinks,  in  charge  of  a  guardian  —  a 
guardian,  by  gad !  " 

He  snorted,  in  manly  indignation.  Caroline,  her 
pretty  face  troubled,  rose  and  walked  slowly  across  the 
room.  It  was  a  large  room,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  it 
was  one  of  a  suite  in  an  apartment  hotel,  and  furnished 
richly.  A.  Rodgers  Warren  spent  his  money  with  taste, 

33 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

and  spent  it  freely  while  he  lived.  The  furniture,  the 
paintings,  and  bric-a-brac  were  of  the  very  best,  chosen 
with  care,  here  and  abroad. 

"  Oh,  dear !  "  sighed  the  girl.  "  I  do  hope  Mr.  Graves 
will  be  well  enough  to  call  to-day.  He  expected  to. 
Except  for  the  telephone  message  telling  us  that  that 
man  at  Denboro — " 

"  Our  dear  Uncle  Elisha,"  put  in  Stephen,  with  sar 
casm.  "  UPC/C  '  'Lish ! '  Heavens !  what  a  name !  " 

"  Hush !  He  can't  help  his  name.  And  father's  was 
worse  yet  —  Abijah !  Think  of  it !  " 

"  I  don't  want  to  think  of  it.  Neither  did  the  gover 
nor  ;  that's  why  he  dropped  it,  I  suppose.  Just  what  did 
Graves  say?  Give  me  his  exact  words." 

"  His  partner,  Mr.  Kuhn,  telephoned.  He  said  that 
Mr.  Graves  had  a  bad  cold,  having  been  wet  through 
in  a  dreadful  storm  down  there  in  the  country.  The  doc 
tor  forbade  his  leaving  the  house  for  a  day  or  two,  but 
he  would  call  on  Tuesday  —  to-day  —  if  he  was  suffi 
ciently  recovered.  And  Mr.  Kuhn  said  that  everything 
was  satisfactory.  This  Captain  Warren  —  a  ship  cap 
tain,  I  suppose  he  is  —  would,  in  all  probability,  refuse  to 
accept  the  guardianship  and  the  rest  of  it — " 

"Refuse?  I  should  think  so.  I'm  just  as  certain 
father  was  insane  when  he  made  that  will  as  I  am  that 
I'm  alive.  If  I  thought  he  wasn't,  I'd  never  forgive 
him." 

"  Hush,  Steve.  You  promised  me  you  wouldn't  speak 
in  that  way." 

"  Well,  all  right,  I  won't.  But,  Caro,  he  must  have 
been  insane.  If  he  wasn't,  do  you  suppose  he  would 
have  put  us  and  the  estate  in  the  care  of  a  Down-East 
jay?  It's  inconceivable!  It's  ridiculous!  Think  of  it. 
Suppose  this  uncle  of  ours  had  accepted.  Suppose  he 

34 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

had  come  to  town  here  and  any  of  our  friends  had  met 
him.  '  This  is  our  guardian,  Captain  Warren,  of  Punkin 
Centre.'  '  Please  to  meet  ye,'  says  Uncle  'Lish.  '  How's 
taters  ?  '  Horrors !  Say,  Caro,  you  haven't  told  anyone, 
Malcolm  or  his  mother,  or  anyone,  have  you  ?  " 

"Of  course  not,  Steve.     You  know  I  wouldn't." 

"  Well,  don't.  They  needn't  know  it,  now  or  at  any 
other  time.  Graves  will  probably  get  himself  appointed, 
and  he's  respectable  if  he  is  an  old  fogy.  We'll  worry 
along  till  I'm  twenty-one,  and  then  —  well,  then  I'll  han 
dle  our  business  myself." 

Evidently  there  was  no  question  in  his  mind  as  to  his 
ability  to  handle  this  or  any  business,  no  matter  how  in 
volved.  He  rose  from  his  chair  and  yawned. 

"  It's  deadly  dull,"  he  complained.  "  You  don't  need 
me,  do  you,  Caro?  I  believe  I'll  go  out  for  a  while. 
That  is,  unless  you  really  care." 

His  sister  hesitated  before  replying.  When  she  spoke, 
there  was  disappointment  in  her  tone. 

"  Why,  Steve,"  she  said,  "  I  did  hope  you  might  be 
here  when  Mr.  Graves  came.  He  will  wish  to  speak  of 
important  matters,  and  it  seems  to  me  that  both  of  us 
should  hear  what  he  has  to  say." 

Young  Warren,  who  had  started  for  the  door,  stopped 
and  kicked  impatiently  at  the  corners  of  the  rug. 

"  Oh,  well!"  he  observed,  "  if  you  want  me  of  course 
I'll  stay.  But  why  doesn't  old  Graves  come,  if  he  is  com 
ing.  Maybe  he's  under  the  weather  yet,"  he  added, 
hopefully.  "  Perhaps  he  isn't  coming  at  all  to-day. 
I  believe  I'll  call  up  Kuhn  on  the  'phone  and  find 
out." 

He  was  on  his  way  to  the  telephone  when  the  doorbell 
buzzed. 

"  Gad !  there  he  is  now,"  he  exclaimed.  "  Now  I  sup- 

35 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

pose  I'll  have  to  stay.     We'll  hear  about  dear  Uncle 
'Lish,  won't  we  ?     Oh,  joy !  " 

But  the  staid  butler,  when  he  entered  the  library,  did 
not  announce  the  lawyer's  name. 

"  Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn  and  Mr.  Malcolm,"  he  said. 
"  Will  you  see  them,  Miss  Caroline  ?  " 

The  young  lady's  face  lit  up. 

"  Certainly,  Edwards,"  she  said.  "  Show  them  —  Oh, 
Mrs.  Dunn,  I'm  so  glad  to  see  you !  It  was  ever  so  good 
of  you  to  come.  And  Malcolm." 

Mrs.  M.  Corcoran  Dunn  was  tall  and,  in  South  Den- 
boro,  would  have  been  called  "  fleshy,"  in  spite  of  her 
own  and  the  dressmaker's  efforts  to  conceal  the  fact. 
She  was  elaborately  gowned  and  furred,  and  something 
about  her  creaked  when  she  walked.  She  rushed  into 
the  room,  at  the  butler's  heels,  and,  greeting  Caroline  with 
outstretched  hands,  kissed  her  effusively  on  the  cheek. 

"  My  dear  child,"  she  cried,  "  how  could  I  stay  away  ? 
We  have  spoken  of  you  and  Stephen  so  often  this  morn 
ing.  We  know  how  lonely  you  must  be,  and  Malcolm 
and  I  decided  we  must  run  in  on  you  after  lunch.  Didn't 
we,  Malcolm?" 

Mr.  Malcolm  Corcoran  Dunn,  her  son,  was  a  blond 
young  man,  with  a  rather  indolent  manner. 

"  Sure,  Mater !  "  he  said,  calmly.  "  How  d'ye  do,  Car 
oline?  'Lo,  Steve!" 

The  quartette  shook  hands.  Mrs.  Dunn  sank  creak- 
ingly  into  a  chair  and  gazed  about  the  room.  Malcolm 
strolled  to  the  window  and  looked  out.  Stephen  followed 
and  stood  beside  him. 

"  My  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Dunn,  addressing  Caroline, 
"  how  are  you  getting  on  ?  How  are  your  nerves  ?  Is 
all  the  dreadful  'settling'  over?" 

"  Very  nearly,  thank  goodness." 

36 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  That's  a  mercy.  I  should  certainly  have  been  here 
yesterday  to  help  you  in  superintending  and  arranging 
and  so  on,  but  I  was  suffering  from  one  of  my  '  hearts,' 
and  you  know  what  they  are." 

Everyone  who  knew  Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn  was  ac 
quainted  with  her  "  hearts."  The  attacks  came,  so  she 
was  accustomed  to  explain,  from  an  impaired  valve,  and 
"  some  day  " —  she  usually  completed  the  sentence  with 
upturned  eyes  and  a  resigned  upward  wave  of  the  hand. 

Her  son  turned  from  the  window. 

"  I  say,  Mother,"  he  explained,  wearily,  "  I  do  wish 
you  wouldn't  speak  of  your  vital  organs  in  the  plural. 
Anyone  v/ould  imagine  you  were  a  sort  of  freak,  like 
the  two-headed  boy  at  the  circus.  It's  positively  dis 
tressing." 

Stephen  laughed.  He  admired  young  Dunn  im 
mensely.  Mrs.  Dunn  sighed. 

'Don't,  Malcolm,  dear,"  she  pleaded.  "You  sound 
so  unfeeling.  One  not  acquainted  with  your  real  kind 
ness  oi  ..cart — " 

"  Oh,  drop  it,"  interrupted  Malcolm.  "  Let's  omit  the 
heart  interest.  This  isn't  a  clinic.  I  say,  Steve,  how  do 
you  like  he  nev/  flat?  It  is  ..  flat,  isn't  it?" 

Stephen  turned  red.  His  sister  colored  and  bit  her 
lip.  Mrs.  Dunn  hastened  to  the  rescue. 

"  Horrors !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  Malcolm,  you  really  are 
insufferable.  Flat!  Caroline,  dear,  you  mustn't  mind 
him.  He  will  have  his  joke.  Malcolm,  apologize." 

The  command  was  sharp,  and  her  son  obeyed  it. 

"  Beg  your  pardon,  Steve,"  he  said.  "  Yours,  too, 
Caroline.  I  was  only  joking.  There's  a  little  beast  of 
a  bookkeeper  down  at  the  office  who  is  forever  talking 
of  his  '  nice  flat  in  the  Bronx.'  It's  a  standing  guy, 
you  know.  So  far  as  I  can  see,  these  are  pretty  snug 

37 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

quarters.  And  attractively  arranged,  too.  Your  taste, 
Caroline,  I'm  betting." 

Miss  Warren,  slightly  mollified,  bowed  assent. 

"  I  thought  so,"  continued  Malcolm.  "  No  one  but 
you  would  have  known  exactly  the  right  spot  for  every 
thing.  Show  us  through,  won't  you  ?  " 

But  Mrs.  Dunn  had  other  plans. 

"  Not  now,  Malcolm,"  she  put  in.  "  Caroline  is  tired 
out,  I'm  sure.  A  little  fresh  air  will  do  her  good.  I 
was  going  to  suggest  that  you  and  she  and  Stephen  go 
for  a  short  ride.  Yes,  really  you  must,  my  dear,"  she 
added,  turning  to  the  girl  beside  her.  "  Our  car  is  at 
the  door,  it's  not  at  all  a  bad  afternoon,  and  the  outing 
will  be  just  what  you  need." 

"  Thank  you,  Mrs.  Dunn,"  said  Caroline,  gratefully. 
"  I  should  like  to.  Indeed,  I  should.  But  we  have  been 
expecting  a  business  call  from  Mr.  Graves,  father's  law 
yer,  and — " 

"  Oh,  come  on,  Sis !  "  interrupted  Stephen.  "  I'm  dy 
ing  to  get  out  of  this  jail.  Let  old  Graves  wait,  if  he 
comes.  We  won't  be  long;  and,  besides,  it's  not  certain 
that  he  is  coming  to-day.  Come  on !  " 

"  I'm  afraid  I  ought  not,  Steve.  Mr.  Graves  may 
come,  and  —  and  it  seems  too  bad  to  trouble  our 
friends  — " 

"  It's  not  trouble,  it's  pleasure,"  urged  Mrs.  Dunn. 
"  Malcolm  will  be  delighted.  It  was  his  idea.  Wasn't 
it  ?  "  turning  to  her  son. 

"  Oh,  yes !  certainly,"  replied  the  young  gentleman. 
"  Hope  you'll  come,  Caroline.  And  you,  of  course, 
Steve.  The  blessed  machine's  been  off  its  feed  for  a 
week  or  more,  but  Peter  says  he  thinks  it's  all  right 
again.  We'll  give  it  a  try-out  on  the  Drive.  Hope  we 
have  better  luck  than  my  last,"  with  a  laugh.  "  Thev 

38 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

nabbed  us  for  speeding,  and  I  had  to  promise  to  be  a 
good  boy  or  to  be  fined.  Said  we  were  hitting  it  at  fifty 
an  hour.  We  were  going  some,  that's  a  fact.  Ha !  ha !  " 

"  But  he  won't  be  reckless  when  you're  with  him,  Car 
oline,"  put  in  his  mother.  "  You  will  go  ?  That's  so 
nice!  As  for  Mr.  Graves,  I'll  explain  if  he  comes. 
Oh,  no !  I'm  not  going !  I  shall  remain  here  in  this  com 
fortable  chair  and  rest  until  you  return.  It's  exactly 
what  my  physician  orders,  and  for  once  I'm  going  te 
obey  him.  My  heart,  you  know,  my  poor  heart — " 

She  waved  her  hand  and  raised  her  eyes.  Miss  War 
ren  expostulated,  but  to  no  purpose.  Mrs.  Corcoran 
Dunn  would  not  go,  but  the  others  must.  So,  at  last, 
they  did.  When  Caroline  and  her  brother  had  gone 
for  their  wraps,  Mrs.  Dunn  laid  a  hand  on  her  son's 
arm. 

"  Now  mind,"  she  whispered,  "  see  if  you  can  find  out 
anything  during  the  ride.  Something  more  explicit 
about  the  size  of  their  estate  and  who  the  guardian  is  to 
be.  There  are  all  sorts  of  stories,  you  know,  and  we 
must  learn  the  truth  very  soon.  Don't  appear  curious, 
but  merely  friendly.  You  understand  ?  " 

"  Sure,  Mater,"  was  the  careless  answer.     "  I'll  pump." 

The  two  departed,  leaving  their  lady  visitor  ensconced 
in  the  comfortable  chair.  She  remained  in  it  for  perhaps 
five  minutes.  Then  she  rose  and  sauntered  about  the 
room.  She  drifted  into  the  drawing-room,  returning  a 
moment  later  and  sauntering  casually  toward  the  open 
desk  by  the  fireplace.  There  were  papers  and  letters 
scattered  about  this  desk,  and  these  she  turned  over, 
glancing  toward  the  door  to  be  sure  no  one  was  coming. 
The  letters  were,  for  the  most  part,  messages  of  sympa 
thy  from  friends  of  the  Warren  family.  Hearing  an  ap 
proaching  step,  she  hastily  returned  to  the  chair. 

39 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Edwards,  the  butler,  entered  the  library  and  replen 
ished  the  fire.  Mrs.  Dunn  languidly  accosted  him. 

"Ah  —  er  —  Edwards,"  she  said,  "you  are  —  er  — 
growing  familiar  with  your  new  home  ?  " 

"Yes,  ma'am,"  replied  Edwards,  politely. 

"  It  must  seem  —  er  —  small  compared  to  the  other." 

"  Smaller ;  yes,  ma'am." 

"  But  very  snug  and  comfortable." 

"  Yes,  ma'am." 

"  It  is  fortunate  that  Miss  Warren  and  her  brother 
have  the  aid  of  such  a  —  an  old  servant  of  the  family." 

"  Thank  you,  ma'am." 

"  Is  Miss  Caroline  managing  her  own  affairs  ?  " 

"Apparently  so.     Yes,  ma'am." 

"  I  presume,  however,  a  guardian  has  been  appointed  ? 
With  an  estate  such  as  the  late  Mr.  Warren  must  have 
left,  some  responsible  person  would  be,  of  course,  neces 
sary." 

She  paused.  Edwards,  having  arranged  the  logs  to 
kis  liking,  brushed  the  dust  from  his  hands. 

"  I  don't  know,  ma'am,  I'm  sure,"  he  said.  "  Neither 
Miss  Caroline  nor  Mr.  Stephen  have  spoken  with  me  con 
cerning  the  family  affairs." 

Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn  straightened,  with  hauteur. 

"  I  think  that  was  the  doorbell,"  she  remarked,  a  trifle 
sharply.  "If  it  should  be  Mr.  Graves,  the  attorney,  you 
may  show  him  into  the  library  here." 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  said  Edwards  once  more,  and  departed. 

The  lady  visitor  heard  voices  in  the  passage.  She 
listened,  but  could  hear  nothing  understandable.  Evi 
dently  the  butler  was  having  an  argument  with  someone. 
It  could  not  be  Graves. 

Edwards   reappeared,  looking  troubled. 

"  It's  a  —  a  gentleman  to  see  Miss  Caroline,"  he  said. 
40 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  He  won't  give  his  name,  ma'am,  but  says  she's  expecting 
him." 

"  Expecting  him  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am.  I  told  him  she  was  out,  but  he  said  he 
was  intending  to  stay  a  while  anyway,  and  would  wait. 
I  asked  his  business,  but  he  wouldn't  tell  it." 

"  That's  odd."  Mrs.  Dunn  was  slightly  interested. 
"  A  tradesman,  perhaps ;  or  an  agent  of  the  landlord." 

"  No-o,  ma'am.  I  don't  think  he's  either  of  them, 
ma'am." 

"  What  sort  of  a  person  is  he,  Edwards  ?  " 

The  butler's  face  twitched  for  an  instant  with  a  trou 
bled  smile.  Then  it  resumed  its  customary  respectful 
calm. 

"  I  hardly  know,  ma'am.  He's  an  oddish  man.  He 
—  I  think  he's  from  the  country." 

From  behind  him  came  a  quiet  chuckle. 

"  You're  right,  Commodore,"  said  a  man's  voice ; 
"  I'm  from  the  country.  You  guessed  it." 

Edwards  jumped,  startled  out  of  his  respectable  wits. 
Mrs.  Dunn  rose  indignantly  from  her  chair. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  ma'am,"  said  the  intruder,  ap 
pearing  in  the  doorway.  "  You  mustn't  think  I'm  for- 
cin'  my  way  where  I  ain't  wanted.  But  it  seemed  to  take 
so  long  to  make  the  Admiral  here  understand  that 
I  was  goin'  to  wait  until  Caroline  came  back  that  I 
thought  I'd  save  time  and  breath  by  provin'  it  to  him. 
I  didn't  know  there  was  any  company.  Excuse  me, 
ma'am,  I  won't  bother  you.  I'll  just  come  to  anchor  out 
here  in  the  entry.  Don't  mind  me." 

He  bowed  politely,  picked  up  the  large  suit-case, 
plainly  bran-new,  which  he  had  momentarily  placed  on 
the  rug  at  his  feet,  and,  with  it  in  one  hand  and  a  big  soft 
felt  hat  in  the  other,  stepped  back  into  the  hall  out  of 

41 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

sight.  The  astonished  Mrs.  Dunn  and  the  paralyzed 
Edwards  heard  a  chair  crack  as  if  a  heavy  weight  had 
descended  upon  it.  Evidently  he  had  "  come  to  an 
chor." 

The  lady  was  the  first  to  recover  the  power  of  speech. 

"  Why ! "  she  exclaimed,  in  an  alarmed  whisper. 
"  Why !  I  never  heard  of  such  brazen  impertinence  in 
my  life.  He  must  be  insane.  He  is  a  lunatic,  isn't  he, 
Edwards?" 

The  butler  shook  his  head.  "I  —  I  don't  know, 
ma'am,"  he  stammered. 

"  I  believe  he  is."  Mrs.  Dunn's  presence  of  mind  was 
returning,  and  with  it  her  courage.  Her  florid  cheeks 
flamed  a  more  vivid  red,  and  her  eyes  snapped.  "  But 
whether  he  is  or  not,  he  sha'n't  bulldoze  me." 

She  strode  majestically  to  the  door.  The  visitor  was 
seated  in  the  hall,  calmly  reading  a  newspaper.  Hat  and 
suit-case  were  on  the  floor  beside  him. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  this  ?  "  demanded  the  lady. 
"  Who  are  you  ?  If  you  have  any  business  here,  state  it 
at  once." 

The  man  glanced  at  her,  over  his  spectacles,  rose  and 
stood  looking  down  at  her.  His  expression  was  pleasant, 
and  he  was  remarkably  cool. 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  he  said,  gravely.  "  I'll  be  glad  to  tell 
you  who  I  am,  if  you'd  like  to  have  me.  I'd  have  done 
it  before,  but  I  thought  there  weren't  any  use  troublin' 
you  with  my  affairs.  But,  just  a  minute  — "  he  hesitated 
— "  I  haven't  made  any  mistake,  have  I  ?  I  understood 
your  steward  —  the  feller  with  the  brass  buttons,  to  say 
that  Abijah  Warren's  children  lived  here.  That's  so, 
ain't  it?  If  not,  then  I  am  mistaken." 

Mrs.  Dunn  regarded  him  with  indignation.  "You 
are,"  she  said  coldly.  "The  family  of  the  late  Mr. 

42 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Rodgers  Warren  lives  here.  I  presume  the  slight  re 
semblance  in  names  misled  you.  Edwards,  show  the 
gentleman  out." 

"Just  one  moment  more,  ma'am.  It  was  Rodgers 
Warren's  children  I  was  lookin'  for.  A.  Rodgers  War 
ren  he  called  himself,  didn't  he?  Yes.  Well,  the  A 
stood  for  Abijah ;  that  was  his  Christian  name.  And  he 
left  two  children,  Caroline  and  Stephen?  Good!  I 
thought  for  a  jiffy  I'd  blundered  in  where  I  had  no  busi 
ness,  but  it's  all  right.  You  see,  ma'am,  I'm  their  uncle 
from  South  Denboro,  Massachusetts.  My  name  is 
Elisha  Warren." 

Mrs.  Dunn  gasped.  Edwards,  peering  over  her  shoul 
der,  breathed  heavily. 

"  You  are  —  their  uncle?  "  repeated  the  lady. 

"  Yes,  ma'am.  I'm  'Bije's  brother.  Oh,  don't  worry. 
It's  all  right.  And  don't  fret  yourself  about  me,  either. 
I'll  set  right  down  out  here  and  read  my  paper  and 
wait  till  Caroline  or  Stephen  get  home.  They're  ex- 
pectin'  me.  Mr.  Graves,  the  lawyer,  told  'em  I  was 
comin'." 

He  calmly  seated  himself  and  adjusted  his  spectacles. 
Mrs.  Dunn  stared  at  him,  then  at  Edwards.  After  an  in 
stant's  indecision,  she  stepped  back  into  the  library  and 
walked  to  the  window.  She  beckoned,  with  an  agitated 
finger,  to  the  butler,  who  joined  her. 

"  Edwards,"  she  whispered,  "  did  you  hear  what  he 
said?" 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  replied  Edwards,  wide-eyed  and  won 
dering. 

"Is  it  true?" 

"  I  don't  know,  ma'am." 

"  Did  Mr.  Warren  have  a  brother  ?  * 

"  I  didn't  know  that  he  had,  ma'am." 
4  43 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Do  you  —  do  you  think  it  likely  that  he  would  have 
a  brother  like  —  like  that?  " 

"  1  don't  know,  ma'am." 

"  Was  Miss  Caroline  expecting  him  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  ma'am.     She  — " 

"Oh,  you  don't  know  anything!  You're  impossible. 
Go  away ! " 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  said  Edwards  thankfully ;  and  went. 

Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn  stood  for  some  minutes  by  the 
window,  thinking,  or  trying  to  think  a  way  to  the  truth 
in  this  astounding  development.  Of  course  the  man 
might  be  a  lunatic  who  had  gained  his  information  con 
cerning  the  Warren  family  from  the  papers ;  but  he  did 
not  look  like  a  lunatic.  On  the  other  hand,  he  cer 
tainly  did  not  look  as  one  would  have  expected  a  brother 
of  Rodgers  Warren's  to  look.  Oddest  of  all,  if  he  was 
such  a  brother,  why  had  neither  Caroline  or  Stephen 
mentioned  his  existence?  According  to  his  story, 
Graves,  the  Warren  lawyer,  had  warned  the  children 
of  his  coming.  Caroline  had  been  very  reticent  con 
cerning  her  father's  will,  the  amount  of  his  estate,  and 
the  like.  And  Mrs.  Dunn  had  repeatedly,  though  dis 
creetly,  endeavored  to  find  out  these  important  details. 
Neither  hints  nor  questions  had  resulted  satisfactorily. 
Was  it  possible  that  this  was  the  reason,  this  country 
uncle?  If  so  —  well,  if  so,  here  was  a  Heaven-sent  op 
portunity  for  a  little  genteel  and  perfectly  safe  detective 
work.  Mrs.  Dunn  creakingly  crossed  the  room  and 
spoke. 

"  Mr.  Warren,"  she  said,  "  I  feel  guilty  in  keeping  you 
out  there.  Won't  you  come  into  the  library  ?  " 

"  Why,  thank  you,  ma'am,  I'm  all  right.  Don't  you 
trouble  about  me.  Go  right  on  with  your  readin'  or 
sewin*  or  knittin'  or  whatever  you  was  doin'  and  — " 

44 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  I  was  not  —  reading,"  replied  Mrs.  Dunn,  with  a 
slight  shudder.  "  Come  in,  please.  I  wish  you  to." 

Captain  Elisha  folded  his  paper  and  put  it  in  his 
pocket.  Entering  the  library,  he  stood  quietly  waiting. 

"  Won't  you  sit  down  ?  "  asked  his  impromptu  hostess, 
trying  hard  to  be  gracious. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  the  captain.  He  sank  into  an  arm 
chair  and  looked  curiously  about  him. 

"  So  you  are  the  late  Mr.  Warren's  brother  ?  "  asked 
the  lady,  making  her  first  lead  in  the  game. 

"  Yes,  ma'am.  His  older  brother.  'Bije  was  ten  year 
younger'n  I  am,  Mrs. —  er — " 

"  Dunn.     I  am  an  old  friend  of  the  family." 

"  That's  good.  I'm  glad  to  hear  they've  got  friends. 
When  you're  in  sickness  or  trouble  or  sorrer,  friendship 
counts  for  consider'ble.  How  are  the  young  folks  — 
Caroline  and  Stephen  —  pretty  smart,  hey  ?  " 

"  Smart ?    Why,  they  are  intelligent,  naturally.     I  — " 

"  No,  no.     I  mean  are  they  pretty  well  ?  " 

"  Very  well,  indeed,  considering  the  shock  of  their 
recent  bereavement" 

"  Yes,  yes.  Of  course.  And  they've  moved,  too. 
Movin's  an  awful  job.  They  say  three  movin's  are  as 
bad  as  a  fire,  but  I  cal'late  I'd  rather  burn  up  a  set  of 
carpets  than  pull  'em  up,  'specially  if  they  was  insured. 
'Tain't  half  so  much  strain  on  your  religion.  I  remem 
ber  the  last  time  we  took  up  our  carpets  at  home,  Abbie 
—  she's  my  second  cousin,  keepin'  house  for  me  —  said 
if  gettin'  down  on  my  knees  has  that  effect  on  me 
she'd  never  ask  me  to  go  to  prayer-meetin'  again.  Ho ! 
ho!" 

He  chuckled.  Mrs.  Dunn  elevated  her  nose  and 
looked  out  of  the  window.  Then  she  led  another  small 
trump. 

45 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  You  say  that  Miss  Caroline  and  her  brother  expect 
you,"  she  said.  "  You  surprise  me.  Are  you  sure  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  ma'am.  I'm  sure.  When  Mr.  Graves  came 
down  to  see  me,  last  week  'twas,  I  told  him  to  say  I'd 
be  up  pretty  soon  to  look  the  ground  over.  This  is  a 
pretty  fine  place  the  young  folks  have  got  here,"  he  added, 
gazing  admiringly  at  the  paintings  and  bookcases. 

"  Yes,"  assented  the  lady,  condescendingly.  "  For  an 
apartment  it  is  really  quite  livable." 

"  Livable ! "  Captain  Elisha's  astonishment  got  the 
better  of  his  politeness  for  the  moment.  "  Um !  Yes,  I 
should  say  a  body  might  manage  to  worry  along  in  it. 
Was  the  place  where  they  used  to  live  any  finer  than 
this?" 

"  Certainly ! " 

"  You  don't  tell  me !  No  wonder  they  talked  about 
economi  —  Humph !  " 

"  What  were  you  about  to  say,  Mr.  Warren  ?  " 

"  Oh,  nothin',  nothin' !  Talkin'  to  myself  is  a  habit 
I've  got.  Abbie  —  my  second  cousin ;  I  guess  I  told  you 
about  her  —  says  it's  a  sure  sign  that  a  person's  rich  or 
out  of  his  head,  one  or  t'other.  I  ain't  rich,  so  — "  He 
chuckled  once  more. 

"  Mr.  Graves  came  to  see  you  at  your  home,  did 
he?" 

"  Yes,  ma'am.  At  South  Denboro.  And  he  certainly 
did  have  a  rough  passage.  Ho !  ho !  Probably  you  heard 
about  it,  bein'  so  friendly  with  the  family." 

"  Ahem !  Doubtless  he  would  have  mentioned  it,  but 
he  has  been  ill." 

"  Sho !  I'm  sorry  to  hear  that.  I  was  afraid  he'd 
catch  cold." 

"Yes.     I  hope  Mr.  Graves's  errand  was  successful?" 

"  Well,  sort  of  so-so." 

46 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Yes.  He  came  to  see  you  in  connection  with  your 
brother's  estate  —  some  legacy,  perhaps  ?  " 

She  did  not  look  at  the  captain  when  she  asked  this 
question.  Therefore,  she  did  not  notice  the  glance  which 
he  gave  her.  When  he  answered,  it  was  in  the  same  de 
liberate,  provokingly  deliberate,  manner. 

"  Um-hm.  Somethin'  of  that  kind,  Mrs.  Dunn.  I 
can't  help  thinkin',"  he  went  on,  "  how  nice  it  is  that 
Caroline  and  Steve  have  such  a  good  friend  as  you  to 
help  'em.  Your  husband  and  'Bije  was  chums,  I 
s'pose  ?  " 

"  No,  not  exactly.  The  friendship  was  on  my  side  of 
the  family." 

"  So  ?     Want  to  know !     Your  husband  dead,  ma'am  ?  " 

Mrs.  Dunn  changed  the  subject.  Her  husband,  Mr. 
Corcoran  Dunn  —  once  Mike  Dunn,  contractor  and  Tam 
many  politician  —  was  buried  in  Calvary  Cemetery. 
She  mourned  him,  after  a  fashion,  but  she  preferred  not 
to  talk  about  him. 

"  Yes,"  she  answered  shortly.  "  It  —  it  looks  as  if  it 
might  snow,  doesn't  it  ?  " 

"  I  shouldn't  wonder.  Have  you  any  children, 
ma'am  ?  " 

"  One  —  a  son."     The  widow's  tone  was  frigid. 

"  So  ?  He  must  be  a  comfort  to  you.  I  s'pose  likely 
he's  a  friend  of  my  nephew  and  niece,  too." 

"  Certainly." 

"  That's  good.  Young  folks  ought  to  have  young 
friends.  You  live  in  this  neighborhood,  ma'am  ?  " 

The  lady  did  not  answer.  She  gazed  haughtily  at  the 
trees  in  the  Park.  Captain  Elisha  rubbed  a  smile  from 
his  lips  with  his  hand  and  remained  silent.  The  tall  clock 
ticked  loud. 

There  came  the  sound  of  laughter  from  the  passage 

47 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

outside.  The  hall  door  opened.  A  moment  later,  \Jaro- 
line,  followed  by  her  brother  and  young  Dunn,  entered 
the  library. 

The  girl's  cheeks  were  rosy  from  the  cold  wind.  Her 
hair,  beneath  the  fur  auto  cap,  had  blown  in  brown,  rip 
pled  disorder  across  her  forehead.  She  was  smiling. 

"Oh,  Mrs.  Dunn!"  she  cried.  "I'm  so  glad  I  ac 
cepted  your  —  Malcolm's  —  invitation.  We  had  a  glori 
ous  ride !  I  — " 

She  stopped  short.  Captain  Warren  had  risen  from 
his  chair  and  was  facing  her.  Mrs.  Dunn  also  rose. 

"  Caroline,"  she  said,  nervously,  "  this  " —  pausing  on 
the  word  — "  gentleman  is  here  to  see  you.  He  says  he 
is—" 

The  captain  interrupted  her.  Stepping  forward  he 
seized  his  niece's  hands  in  his.  "  Well,  well !  "  he  ex 
claimed  admiringly.  "  'Bije's  girl,  that  I  ain't  seen  since 
you  was  a  little  mite  of  a  baby!  Caroline,  I'm  your 
Uncle  Elisha." 

"  Good  Lord! "  groaned  Stephen  Warren. 


CHAPTER  IV 

IF  the  captain  heard  Stephen's  fervent  ejaculation, 
he  paid  no  attention  to  it.  Dropping  his  niece's 
hand,  he  extended  his  own  toward  his  nephew. 

"  And  this  is  Stephen  ?  "  he  said.  "  Well,  Steve,  you 
and  me  have  never  met  afore,  I  b'lieve.  But  that's  our 
misfortune,  not  our  fault,  hey?  How  are  you?  Pretty 
smart?" 

The  boy's  face  was  flaming.  He  mumbled  something 
to  the  effect  that  he  was  all  right  enough,  and  turned 
away  without  accepting  the  proffered  hand.  Captain 
Elisha  glanced  quickly  at  him,  then  at  his  sister. 

"  Well,  Caroline,"  he  said,  pleasantly,  "  I  s'pose  you've 
been  expectin'  me.  Mr.  Graves  told  you  I  was  comin', 
didn't  he?" 

Miss  Warren,  also,  was  flushed  with  embarrassment 
and  mortified  surprise. 

"  No,"  she  stammered.     "  He  has  been  ill." 

"  Sho !  you  don't  say !  Mrs.  Dunn  —  your  friend  here 
—  said  he  was  laid  up  with  a  cold,  but  I  didn't  realize 
'twas  as  bad  as  that.  So  you  didn't  know  I  was  comin' 
at  all." 

"  No.  We  —  we  have  not  heard  from  you  since  he 
returned." 

"  That's  too  bad.  I  hope  I  sha'n't  put  you  out  any, 
droppin'  in  on  you  this  way.  You  mustn't  treat  me  as 
comp'ny,  you  know.  If  'tain't  convenient,  if  your  spare 
room  ain't  ready  so  soon  after  movin',  or  anything  of 


49 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

that  kind,  I  can  go  to  a  hotel  somewheres  for  a  day  or 
so.  Hadn't  I  better,  don't  you  think?  " 

Caroline  hesitated.  If  only  they  might  have  been 
spared  this  public  humiliation.  If  the  Dunns  had  not 
been  there.  It  was  bad  enough  to  have  this  dreadful 
country  uncle  come  at  all;  but  to  have  him  come  now, 
before  they  were  prepared,  before  any  explanations  had 
been  made!  What  should  she  do? 

Her  brother,  fidgeting  at  her  elbow,  not  daring  to  look 
at  Malcolm  Dunn,  who,  he  knew,  was  thoroughly  enjoy 
ing  the  scene,  could  stand  it  no  longer. 

"  Caro,"  he  snapped,  "  what  are  you  waiting  for  ? 
Don't  you  knozu  that  the  rooms  are  not  ready?  Of 
course  they're  not!  We're  sorry,  and  all  that,  but 
Graves  didn't  tell  us  and  we  weren't  prepared.  Cer 
tainly  he'll  have  to  go  to  the  hotel,  for  —  for  the  pres 
ent." 

He  ventured  to  raise  his  eyes  and  glare  indignantly  at 
the  captain.  Finding  the  latter  looking  intently  at  him, 
he  dropped  them  again  and  jammed  his  clenched  fists  into 
his  pockets. 

Captain  Elisha  pulled  thoughtfully  at  his  beard. 

"  Humph  !  "  he  grunted.  "  Humph !  then  I  cal'late 
maybe — "  He  took  a  step  toward  the  door,  stopped, 
turned  back,  and  said,  with  calm  decision,  "  I  guess  I'd 
better  stay.  You  won't  mind  me,  Caroline  —  you  and 
Stephen.  You  mustn't.  As  I  said,  I  ain't  comp'ny. 
I'm  one  of  the  family,  your  pa's  brother,  and  I've  come 
some  consider 'ble  ways  to  see  you  two  young  folks  and 
talk  with  you.  I've  come  because  your  pa  asked  me  to. 
I'm  used  to  roughin'  it,  been  to  sea  a  good  many  v'yages, 
and  if  a  feather  bed  ain't  handy  I  can  get  my  forty  winks 
on  the  floor.  So  that's  settled,  and  you  mustn't  have  me 
on  your  conscience.  That's  sense,  ain't  it,  Mrs.  Dunn?" 

50 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn  did  not  deign  a  reply.  Caroline 
answered  for  her. 

"  Very  well,"  she  said,  coldly.  Stepping  to  the  desk 
she  rang  a  bell.  The  butler  appeared  in  the  doorway. 

"  Edwards,"  said  Miss  Warren,  "  this  gentleman,"  in 
dicating  the  captain,  "  is  to  be  our  guest,  for  the  present. 
You  may  show  him  to  his  .room  —  the  blue  room,  I  think. 
If  it  is  not  ready,  see  that  it  is  made  so." 

"  Yes,  Miss  Caroline,"  replied  Edwards.  Retiring  to 
the  hall,  he  returned  with  the  suit-case. 

"  Will  you  wish  to  go  to  your  room  at  once,  sir  ?  "  he 
asked. 

"  Why,  I  guess  I  might  as  well,  Commodore,"  answered 
Captain  Elisha,  smiling.  "  Little  soap  and  water  won't 
do  no  harm.  Fact  is,  I  feel's  if  'twas  a  prescription  to 
be  recommended.  You  needn't  tote  that  valise,  though," 
he  added.  "  'Tain't  heavy,  and  I've  lugged  it  so  fur 
already  sence  I  got  off  the  car  that  I  feel  kind  of  lone 
some  without  it." 

The  butler,  not  knowing  exactly  how  to  answer, 
grinned  sheepishly.  Captain  Elisha  turned  to  Mrs.  Dunn 
and  her  son. 

"  Well,  good  afternoon,  ma'am,"  he  said.  "  I'm  real 
glad  to  have  made  your  acquaintance.  Yours,  too,  sir," 
with  a  nod  toward  Malcolm.  "  Your  mother  told  me 
what  a  friend  of  the  young  folks  you  was,  and,  as  I'm 
sort  of  actin'  pilot  for  'em  just  now,  in  a  way  of  speakin', 
any  friend  of  theirs  ought  to  be  a  friend  of  mine. 
Hope  to  see  you  often,  Mr.  Dunn." 

The  young  man  addressed  smiled,  with  amusement  not 
at  all  concealed,  and  languidly  admitted  that  he  was 
"  charmed." 

"  Your  first  visit  to  the  city  ?  "  he  inquired,  in  a  tone 
which  caused  Stephen  to  writhe  inwardly. 

51 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  No-o.  No,  not  exactly.  I  used  to  come  here  pretty 
frequent,  back  in  my  sea-goin'  days,  when  my  ship  was 
in  port.  I  sailed  for  Osgood  and  Colton,  down  on  South 
Street,  for  a  spell.  They  were  my  owners.  You  don't 
remember  the  firm,  I  s'pose  ?  " 

"  No.  The  privilege  has  been  denied  me.  You  find 
some  changes  in  New  York,  don't  you  —  er  —  Captain? 
You  are  a  captain,  or  a  bos'n,  or  admiral  —  something 
of  that  sort,  I  presume  ?  " 

"  Malcolm !  "  said  his  mother,  sharply. 

"  Oh,  no  offense  intended.  My  sea  terms  are  rather 
mixed.  The  captain  will  excuse  me," 

"  Sartin !  Cap'n's  what  they  all  call  me,  mostly. 
Your  son  ain't  ever  been  to  sea,  except  as  passenger,  I 
cal'late,  ma'am  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not,"  snapped  Mrs.  Dunn. 

"  Of  course,  of  course.  Well,  'tain't  a  life  I'd  want 
a  boy  of  mine  to  take  up,  nowadays.  But  it  did  have 
some  advantages.  I  don't  know  anything  better  than  a 
v'yage  afore  the  mast  to  learn  a  young  feller  what's 
healthy  for  him  to  unlearn.  Good  day,  ma'am.  Good 
day,  Mr.  Dunn.  I  mustn't  keep  the  Commodore  waitin' 
here  with  that  valise.  I'll  be  out  pretty  soon,  Caroline ; 
just  as  soon  as  I've  got  the  upper  layer  of  railroad  dust 
off  my  face  and  hands.  You'll  be  surprised  to  see  how 
light-complected  I  really  am  when  that's  over.  All 
right !  Heave  ahead,  Commodore !  " 

He  departed,  preceded  by  Edwards  and  the  suit-case. 
Stephen  Warren  threw  himself  violently  into  a  chair  by 
the  window.  Young  Dunn  laughed  aloud.  His  mother 
flashed  an  indignant  glance  at  him,  and  then  hurried  to 
Caroline. 

"  You  poor  dear ! "  she  exclaimed,  putting  an  arm 
about  the  girl's  shoulder.  "  Don't  mind  us,  please  don't ! 

52 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Malcolm  and  I  understand.     That  is,  we  know  how  you 
feel  and—" 

"  Oh,  but  you  don't  know,  Mrs.  Dunn,"  cried  Caroline, 
almost  in  tears.  "  You  don't  understand !  It's  so  much 
worse  than  you  think.  I  —  I  —  Oh,  why  did  father  do 
it  ?  How  could  he  be  so  inconsiderate  ?  " 

"  There !  there ! "  purred  the  friend  of  the  family. 
"  You  mustn't,  you  know.  You  really  mustn't.  Who  is 
this  man?  This  uncle?  Where  does  he  come  from? 
Why  does  he  force  himself  upon  you  in  this  way?  I 
didn't  know  your  poor  father  had  a  brother." 

"  Neither  did  we,"  growled  Stephen,  savagely.  Mal 
colm  laughed  again. 

"What  does  it  all  mean,  dear?"  begged  Mrs.  Dunn. 
"  You  are  in  trouble,  I'm  sure.  Don't  you  think  we  — 
Malcolm  and  I  —  might  be  able  to  help  you  ?  We  should 
so  love  to  do  it.  If  ^ou  feel  that  you  can  confide  in  us ; 
if  it  isn't  a  secret — " 

She  paused  expectantly,  patting  the  girl's  shoulder. 
But  Caroline  had  heard  young  Dunn's  laugh,  and  was 
offended  and  hurt.  Her  eyes  flashed  as  she  answered. 

"  It's  nothing,"  she  said.  "  He  has  come  to  see  us  on 
a  matter  of  business,  I  believe.  I  am  nervous  and  — 
foolish,  I  suppose.  Mr.  Graves  will  see  us  soon,  and 
then  everything  will  be  arranged.  Thank  you  for  calling, 
Mrs.  Dunn,  and  for  the  ride." 

It  was  a  very  plain  hint,  but  Mrs.  Dunn  did  not  choose 
to  understand  it  as  such. 

"  You're  sure  you  hadn't  better  tell  me  the  whole  story, 
dear?"  she  urged.  "I  am  old  enough,  almost,  to  be 
your  mother,  and  perhaps  my  advice  might  .  .  .  No? 
Very  well.  You  know  best  but  —  You  understand  that 
it  is  something  other  than  mere  curiosity  which  leads  me 
to  ask." 

53 


"  Of  course,  I  understand,"  said  the  girl  hastily. 
"  Thank  you  very  much.  Perhaps,  by  and  by,  I  can  tell 
you  everything.  But  we  must  see  Mr.  Graves  first.  I 
—  oh,  don't  ask  me  more  now,  Mrs.  Dunn." 

The  widow  of  so  astute  a  politician  as  Mike  Dunn  had 
been  in  his  day  could  have  scarcely  failed  to  profit  by  his 
teachings.  Moreover,  she  possessed  talent  of  her  own. 
With  a  final  pat  and  a  kiss,  she  prepared  for  departure. 

"  Good-by,  then,"  she  said,  "  or  rather,  au  revoir.  We 
shall  look  in  to-morrow.  Come,  Malcolm." 

"  I  say,  Mai ! "  cried  Stephen,  rising  hurriedly. 
"  You  won't  tell  anyone  about  — " 

"  Steve !  "  interrupted  his  sister. 

Malcolm,  about  to  utter  a  languid  sarcasm,  caught  his 
mother's  look,  and  remained  silent.  Another  meaning 
glance,  and  his  manner  changed. 

"  All  right,  Steve,  old  man,"  he  said.  "  Good-by  and 
good  luck.  Caroline,  awfully  glad  we  had  the  spin  this 
afternoon.  We  must  have  more.  Just  what  you  and 
Steve  need.  At  your  service  any  time.  If  there  is  any 
thing  I  can  do  in  any  way  to  —  er  —  you  understand  — 
call  on  me,  won't  you?  Ready,  Mater?" 

The  pair  were  shown  out  by  Edwards.  On  the  way 
home  in  the  car  Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn  lectured  her  so* 
severely. 

"  Have  you  no  common  sense  ? "  she  demanded. 
"  Couldn't  you  see  that  the  girl  would  have  told  me  every 
thing  if  you  hadn't  laughed,  like  an  idiot?  " 

The  young  man  laughed  again. 

"  By  Jove !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  it  was  enough  to  make  a 
wooden  Indian  laugh.  The  old  jay  with  the  barnacles 
telling  us  about  the  advantages  of  a  sailor's  life.  And 
Steve's  face !  Ho !  ho !  " 

His  mother  snorted  disgust.  "If  you  had  brains,"  she 

54 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

declared,  "  you  would  have  understood  what  he  meant 
by  saying  that  the  sea  was  the  place  to  learn  what  to  un 
learn.  He  was  hitting  at  you.  Was  it  necessary  to  in 
sult  him  the  first  time  you  and  he  exchanged  a  word  ?  " 

"Insult  him?  Him?  Ha,  ha!  Why,  Mater,  what's 
the  matter  with  you?  Do  you  imagine  that  a  hayseed 
like  that  would  recognize  an  insult  without  an  introduc 
tion?  And,  besides,  what  difference  does  it  make? 
You  don't  intend  putting  him  on  your  calling  list,  do 
you?" 

"  I  intend  cultivating  him  for  the  present." 

"  Cultivating  him  ?  " 

"  Yes  —  for  the  present.  He  is  Rodgers  Warren's 
brother.  That  lawyer,  Graves,  traveled  miles  to  see  him. 
What  does  that  mean?  That,  in  some  important  way, 
he  is  connected  with  the  estate  and  those  two  children. 
If  the  estate  is  worth  anything,  and  we  have  reason  to 
believe  it  is,  you  and  I  must  know  it.  If  it  isn't,  it  is 
even  more  important  that  we  should  know,  before  we 
waste  more  time.  If  Caroline  is  an  heiress,  if  she  in 
herits  even  a  moderate  fortune  — " 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders  by  way  of  finish  to  the 
sentence. 

Malcolm  whistled. 

"  But  to  think  of  that  old  Down-Easter  being  related 
to  the  Warren  family ! "  he  mused.  "  It  seems  impos 
sible." 

"  Nothing  is  impossible,"  observed  his  mother.  TheH, 
with  a  shudder,  "  You  never  met  your  father's  relatives. 
I  have." 

When  Captain  Elisha  emerged  from  his  room,  after 
a  wash  and  a  change  of  linen,  he  found  the  library  un- 
tenanted.  He  strolled  about,  his  handt  behind  him,  in- 

55 


specting  the  pictures  with  critical  interest.  Caroline, 
dressed  for  dinner,  found  him  thus  engaged.  He  turned 
at  the  sound  of  her  step. 

"  Why,  hello ! "  he  cried,  with  hearty  enthusiasm. 
"  All  rigged  up  for  inspection,  ain't  you  ?  " 

"  Inspection  ?  " 

"  Oh,  that's  just  sailor's  lingo.  Means  you've  got 
your  Sunday  uniform  on,  that's  all.  My!  my!  how  nice 
you  look!  But  ain't  black  pretty  old  for  such  a  young 
girl?" 

"  I  am  in  mourning,"  replied  his  niece,  coldly. 

"  There !  there !  of  course  you  are.  Tut !  tut !  How 
could  I  forget  it.  You  see,  I've  been  so  many  years 
feelin'  as  if  I  didn't  have  a  brother  that  I've  sort  of  got 
used  to  his  bein'  gone." 

"  I  have  not."  Her  eyes  filled  as  she  said  it.  The 
captain  was  greatly  moved. 

"I'm  a  blunderin'  old  fool,  my  dear,"  he  said.  "I 
beg  your  pardon.  Do  try  to  forgive  me,  won't  you? 
And,  perhaps  —  perhaps  I  can  make  up  your  loss  to 
you,  just  a  little  mite.  I'd  like  to.  I'll  try  to,  if — " 

He  laid  a  hand  on  her  shoulder.  She  avoided  him  and, 
moving  away,  seated  herself  in  a  chair  at  the  opposite 
side  of  the  desk.  The  avoidance  was  so  obvious  as  to 
be  almost  brutal.  Captain  Elisha  looked  very  grave  for 
an  instant.  Then  he  changed  the  subject. 

"  I  was  lookin'  at  your  oil  paintin's,"  he  said. 
'''  They're  pretty  fine,  ain't  they  ?  Any  of  them  your 
work,  Caroline  ?  " 

"My  work?"  The  girl's  astonishment  was  so  great 
that  she  turned  to  stare  at  her  questioner.  "  My  work?  " 
she  repeated.  "Are  you  joking?  You  can't  think  that 
I  painted  them." 

"  I  didn't  know  but  you  might.  That  one  over  there, 

56 


CAf>'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

with  the  trees  and  folks  dancin' —  sort  of  picnic  scene, 
I  judge  —  that  looks  as  if  you  might  have  done  it." 

"  That  is  a  Corot." 

"  Tis,  hey  ?  I  want  to  know !  A  —  a  —  what  did  you 
call  it?" 

"  A  Corot.  He  was  a  famous  French  artist.  That 
was  father's  favorite  picture." 

"  Sho !  Well,  I  like  it  fust-rate  myself.  Did  'Bije  — 
did  your  father  know  this  Mr.  Corot  well?" 

"  Know  him  ?  Certainly  not.  Why  should  you  think 
such  a  thing  as  that  ?  " 

"  Well,  he  bought  the  picture  of  him,  and  so  I  s'pose 
likely  he  knew  him.  There  was  a  young  feller  come  to 
South  Denboro  three  or  four  year  ago  and  offered  to 
paint  a  picture  of  our  place  for  fifteen  dollars.  Abbie  — 
that's  Abbie  Baker,  she's  one  of  our  folks,  you  know, 
your  third  cousin,  Caroline ;  keepin'  house  for  me,  she  is 
—  Abbie  wanted  me  to  have  him  do  the  job,  but  I  wa'n't 
very  particular  about  it,  so  it  never  come  to  nothin*.  He 
done  two  or  three  places,  though,  and  I  swan  'twas  nice 
work !  He  painted  Sam  Gaboon's  old  ramshackle  house 
and  barn,  and  you'd  hardly  know  it,  'twas  so  fixed  up  and 
fine,  in  the  picture.  White  paint  and  green  grass  and 
everything  just  like  real.  He  left  out  the  places  where 
the  pickets  was  off  the  fence  and  the  blinds  hangin'  on 
one  hinge.  I  told  Abbie,  I  says,  '  Abbie,  that  painter's 
made  Sam's  place  look  almost  respectable,  and  if  that 
ain't  a  miracle,  I  don't  know  what  is.  I  would  think 
Sam  would  blush  every  time  he  sees  that  picture.'  Ho, 
ho !  Abbie  seemed  to  cal'late  that  Sam  Cahoon's 
blushin'  would  be  the  biggest  miracle  of  the  two. 
Ho!  ho!  You'd  like  Abbie;  she's  got  lots  of  common 
sense." 

He  chuckled  at  the  reminiscence  and  rubbed  his  knee. 

57 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

His  niece  made  no  reply.  Captain  Elisha  glanced  at  the 
Corot  once  more  and  asked  another  question. 

"  I  presume  likely,"  he  said,  "  that  that  picture  cost 
consider'ble  more  than  fifteen,  hey  ?  " 

"  Father  paid  twenty-two  thousand  dollars  for  it,"  was 
the  crushing  answer. 

The  captain  looked  at  her,  opened  his  mouth  to  speak, 
shut  it  again,  and,  rising,  walked  across  the  room.  Ad 
justing  his  glasses,  he  inspected  the  Corot  in  silence  for 
a  few  minutes.  Then  he  drew  a  long  breath. 

"Well!"  he  sighed.  "Well."  Then,  after  an  in 
terval,  "  Was  this  the  only  one  he  ever  painted  ?  " 

"  The  only  one  ?  The  only  picture  Corot  painted  ? 
Of  course  not!  There  are  many  more." 

"  Did  —  did  this  Corot  feller  get  as  much  for  every 
job  as  he  did  for  this  ?  " 

"  I  presume  so.  I  know  father  considered  this  one  a 
bargain." 

"  Did,  hey  ?  Humph !  I  ought  to  know  enough  by 
this  time  not  to  believe  all  I  hear,  but  I  kind  of  had  an 
idea  that  picture  paintin'  was  starvation  work.  I've  read 
about  artists  committin'  suicide,  and  livin'  in  attics,  and 
such.  Whew!  About  two  such  bargain  sale  jobs  as 
this,  and  I'd  guarantee  not  to  starve  —  and  to  live  as  nigh 
the  ground  as  a  second-floor  bedroom  anyhow.  How 
about  this  next  one?  This  feller  in  a  dory  —  coddin',  I 
guess  he  is.  Did  —  did  Mr.  Corot  do  him  ?  " 

"  No.  That  is  by  a  well-known  American  artist.  It 
is  a  good  piece  of  work,  but  not  like  the  other.  It  is 
worth  much  less.  Perhaps  five  thousand." 

"So?  Well,  even  for  that  I'd  undertake  to  buy  con 
sider'ble  many  dories,  and  hire  fellers  to  fish  from  'em, 
too.  Humph!  I  guess  I'm  out  of  soundin's.  When  I 
thought  fifteen  dollars  was  a  high  price  for  paintin'  a 

58 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

view  of  a  house  I  was  slightly  mistaken.  Next  time 
I'll  offer  the  paintin'  feller  the  house  and  ask  him  what 
he  considers  a  fair  boot,  besides.  Sam  Gaboon's  a  bet 
ter  speculator  than  I  thought  he  was.  Hello,  Commo 
dore  !  what's  worryin'  you  now  ?  " 

Edwards  appeared  to  announce  that  dinner  was  served. 
Caroline  rose  and  led  the  way  to  the  dining  room.  Cap 
tain  Elisha  followed,  looking  curiously  about  him  as  he 
did  so.  Stephen,  who  had  been  sulkily  dressing  in  his 
own  room,  entered  immediately  after. 

The  captain  surveyed  the  dining  room  with  interest. 
Like  the  others  of  the  suite,  it  was  sumptuously  and 
tastefully  furnished.  He  took  the  chair  indicated  by  thf 
solemn  Edwards,  and  the  meal  began. 

The  butler's  sense  of  humor  was  not  acute,  but  it  was 
with  considerable  difficulty  that  he  restrained  his  smiles 
during  the  next  half  hour.  A  more  appreciative  ob 
server  would  have  noticed  and  enjoyed  the  subtler  points. 
Stephen's  glare  of  disgust  at  his  uncle  when  the  latter 
tucked  his  napkin  in  the  opening  of  his  waistcoat ; 
Caroline's  embarrassment  when  the  captain  complimented 
the  soup,  declaring  that  it  was  almost  as  good  as  one  of 
Abbie's  chowders ;  the  visitor's  obvious  uneasiness  at 
being  waited  upon  attentively,  and  the  like.  These  Ed 
wards  missed,  but  he  could  not  help  appreciating  Cap 
tain  Elisha's  conversation. 

Caroline  said  little  during  dinner.  Her  brother  glow 
ered  at  his  plate  and  was  silent.  But  the  captain  talked 
and  talked. 

"  Maybe  you  think  I  didn't  have  a  time  findin'  your 
new  lodgin's,"  he  said.  "  I  come  over  on  the  cars,  some- 
thin'  I  don't  usually  do  when  there's  anything  afloat  to 
carry  me.  But  I  had  an  errand  or  two  to  do  in  Boston, 
so  I  stopped  over  night  at  the  hotel  there  and  got  the 
5  59 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

nine  o'clock  train.     I  landed  here  in  New  York  all  ship 
shape  and  on  time,  and  started  in  to  hunt  you  up." 

"  How  did  you  get  our  address  ? "  asked  his  niece. 
"  Mr.  Graves  couldn't  have  given  it  to  you,  for  we  only 
decided  on  this  apartment  a  few  days  ago." 

"  Ho !  ho ! "  chuckled  Captain  Elisha,  rolling  in  his 
chair,  like  a  ship  in  a  cross  sea.  "Ho!  ho!  You  re 
mind  me  of  Abbie,  Caroline.  That's  what  she  said.  '  I 
never  heard  of  such  a  crazy  cruise,'  she  says.  '  Startin' 
off  to  visit  folks  when  you  haven't  the  least  idea  where 
they  live ! '  '  Oh,  yes,  I  have,'  I  says,  '  I  know  where 
they  live;  they  live  in  New  York.'  Well,  you  ought  to 
have  seen  her  face.  Abbie's  a  good  woman  —  none  bet 
ter —  but  she  generally  don't  notice  a  joke  until  she 
trips  over  it.  I  get  consider'ble  fun  out  of  Abbie,  take 
her  by  the  large.  '  New  York ! '  she  says.  '  Did  any 
body  ever  hear  the  beat  of  that?  Do  you  cal'late  New 
York's  like  South  Denboro,  where  everybody  knows 
everybody  else  ?  What  are  you  plannin'  to  do  ?  run  up  the 
fust  man,  woman  or  child  you  meet  and  ask  'em  to  tell 
you  where  'Bijah  Warren  lives?  Or  are  you  goin'  to 
trot  from  Dan  to  Beersheby,  trustin'  to  meet  your 
nephew  and  niece  on  the  way?  I  never  in  my  born 
days ! ' 

"  Well,"  went  on  the  captain,  "  I  told  her  that  the 
last  suggestion  weren't  such  a  bad  one,  but  there  was 
one  little  objection  to  it.  Considerin'  that  I  hadn't  ever 
laid  eyes  on  Steve  and  that  I  hadn't  seen  you  since  you 
was  a  baby,  the  chances  was  against  my  recognizin'  you 
if  we  did  meet.  Ho,  ho,  ho!  Finally  I  hinted  that  I 
might  look  in  the  directory,  and  she  got  more  recon 
ciled  to  my  startin'.  Honest,  I  do  believe  she'd  have 
insisted  on  takin'  me  by  the  hand  and  leadin'  me  to  you, 
if  I  hadn't  told  her  that. 

60 


The  captain  talked  and  talked.' 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  So  I  did  look  in  the  directory  and  got  the  number 
on  Fifth  Avenue  where  you  used  to  be.  I  asked  a  police 
man  the  nighest  way  to  get  there,  and  he  said  take  a 
bus.  Last  time  I  was  in  New  York  I  rode  in  one  of 
those  Fifth  Avenue  omnibuses,  and  I  never  got  such  a 
jouncin'  in  my  life.  The  pavement  then  was  round  cob 
ble  stones,  like  some  of  the  roads  in  Nantucket.  I  re 
member  I  tried  to  ask  a  feller  that  set  next  to  me  some- 
thin'  or  other,  and  I  swan  to  man  I  couldn't  get  nothin* 
out  of  my  mouth  but  rattles.  '  Metropolitan  Museum/ 
sounded  like  puttin'  in  a  ton  of  coal.  I  thought  I  was 
comin'  apart,  or  my  works  was  out  of  order,  or  some- 
thin',  but  when  the  feller  tried  to  answer  he  rattled 
just  as  bad,  so  I  realized  'twas  the  reg'lar  disease  and  felt 
some  better.  I  never  shall  forget  a  fleshy  woman  — • 
somethin'  like  that  Mrs.  Dunn  friend  of  yours,  Caroline 

—  that  set  opposite  me.     It  give  me  the  crawls  to  look 
at  her,  her  chins  shook  around  so.     Ho !  ho !  she  had  no 
less'n  three  of  'em,  and  they  all  shook  different  ways. 
Ho!  ho!  ho!     If  I'd  been  in  the  habit  of  wearin'  false 
hair  or  teeth  or  anything  that  wa'n't  growed  to  or  but 
toned  on  me  I'd  never  have  risked  a  trip  in  one  of  those 
omnibuses. 

"  So  when  the  police  officer  prescribed  one  for  me  this 
v'yage,  I  was  some  dubious.  I'm  older'n  I  was  ten  year 
ago,  and  I  wa'n't  sure  that  I'd  hold  together.  I  cal'lated 
walkin'  was  better  for  my  health.  So  I  found  Fifth 
Avenue  and  started  to  walk.  And  the  farther  I  walked 
the  heavier  that  blessed  satchel  of  mine  got.  It  weighed 
maybe  ten  or  twelve  pounds  at  the  corner  of  42nd  Street, 
but  when  I  got  as  far  as  the  open  square  where  the  gilt 
woman  is  hurryin'  to  keep  from  bein'  run  over  by 
Gen'ral  Sherman  on  horseback  —  that  statue,  you  knovr 

—  I  wouldn't  have  let  that  blessed  bag  go   for  less'rt 

6l 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

two  ton,  if  I  was  sellin'  it  by  weight.  So  I  leaned  up 
against  an  electric  light  pole  to  rest  and  sort  of  get  my 
bearin's.  Then  I  noticed  what  I'd  ought  to  have  seen 
afore,  that  the  street  wa'n't  paved  with  cobbles,  as  it 
used  to  be,  but  was  smooth  as  a  stretch  of  state  road 
down  home.  So  I  figgered  that  a  bus  was  a  safe  risk, 
after  all.  I  waited  ten  minutes  or  more  for  one  to 
come,  and  finally  I  asked  a  woman  who  was  in  tow  of 
an  astrakhan-trimmed  dog  at  the  end  of  a  chain,  if  the 
omnibuses  had  stopped  runnin'.  When  I  fust  see  the 
dog  leadin'  her  I  thought  she  was  blind,  but  I  guess  she 
was  deef  and  dumb  instead.  Anyhow,  all  she  said  was 
'  Ugh ! '  not  very  enthusiastic,  at  that,  and  went  along. 
Ho!  ho!  So  then  I  asked  a  man,  and  he  pointed  to  a 
bus  right  in  front  of  me.  You  see,  I  was  lookin'  for 
the  horses,  same  as  they  used  to  be,  and  this  was  an 
automobile. 

"  I  blushed,  I  guess,  just  to  show  that  there  was  some 
red  underneath  the  green,  and  climbed  aboard  the  omni 
bus.  I  rode  along  for  a  spell,  admirin'  as  much  of  the 
scenery  as  I  could  see  between  the  women's  hats,  then 
I  told  the  skipper  of  the  thing  that  I  wanted  to  make 
port  at  82nd  Street.  He  said  '  Ugh/  apparently  suf- 
f'rin'  from  the  same  complaint  the  dog  woman  had,  and 
we  went  on  and  on.  At  last  I  got  kind  of  anxious  and 
asked  him  again. 

"'Eighty-second!'  says  he,  ugly.  'This  is  Ninety- 
first/ 

' '  Good  land ! '  says  I.    '  I  wanted  Eighty-second.' 

'  Why  didn't  you  say  so  ? '  says  he,  lookin'  as  if  I'd 
stole  his  mother's  spoons. 

"  '  I  did,'  says  I. 

"  '  You  did? '  he  snarls.  '  You  did  not  I  If  you  did, 
wouldn't  I  have  heard  you  ? ' 

62 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Well,  any  answer  I'd  be  likely  to  make  to  that  would 
have  meant  more  argument,  and  the  bus  was  sailin' 
right  along  at  the  time,  so  I  piled  out  and  did  some  more 
walkin',  the  other  way.  At  last  I  reached  your  old 
number,  Stevie,  and  —  Hey  ?  Did  you  speak  ?  " 

"  Don't  call  me  *  Stevie,' "  growled  his  nephew,  re- 
belliously. 

"  Beg  your  pardon.  I  keep  forgettin'  that  you're  al 
most  grown  up.  Well,  as  I  was  sayin',  I  got  to  the 
house  where  you  used  to  live,  and  'twas  shut  tight. 
Nobody  there.  Ho !  ho !  I  felt  a  good  deal  like  old 
Beriah  Doane  must  have  on  his  last  '  vacation.'  You 
see,  Beriah  is  one  of  our  South  Denboro  notorieties; 
he's  famous  in  his  way.  He  works  and  loafs  by  spells 
until  cranberry  pickin'  time  in  the  fall;  then  he  picks 
steady  and  earns  thirty  or  forty  dollars  all  at  once. 
Soon's  he's  paid  off,  he  starts  for  Boston  on  a  '  vacation,' 
an  alcoholic  one.  Well,  last  fall  his  married  sister  was 
visitin'  him,  and  she,  bein'  strong  for  good  Templarism, 
was  determined  he  shouldn't  vacate  in  his  regular  way. 
So  she  telegraphed  her  husband's  brother  in  Brockton  to 
meet  Beriah  there,  go  with  him  to  Boston,  and  see  that 
he  behaved  himself  and  stayed  sober.  Beriah  heard  of 
it,  and  when  his  train  gets  as  far  as  Tremont  what  does 
he  do  but  get  off  quiet  and  change  cars  for  New  Bed 
ford.  He  hadn't  been  there  for  nine  years,  but  he  had 
pleasant  memories  of  his  last  visit.  And  when  he  does 
get  to  New  Bedford,  chucklin'  over  the  way  he's  be 
fooled  his  sister  and  her  folks,  I'm  blessed  if  he  didn't 
find  that  the  town  had  gone  no-license,  and  every  saloon 
was  shut  up  1  Ho !  ho !  ho  !  Well,  I  felt  about  the  way 
he  did,  I  guess,  when  I  stood  on  the  steps  of  your  Fifth 
Avenue  house  and  realized  you'd  gone  away.  I  wouldn't 
have  had  Abbie  see  me  there  for  somethin'.  Ho  1  ho !  " 

63 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  leaned  back  in  his  chair  and  laughed  aloud.  Caro 
line  smiled  faintly.  Stephen  threw  down  his  napkin  and 
sprang  to  his  feet. 

"  Sis,"  he  cried,  "  I'm  going  to  my  room.  By  gad !  I 
can't—" 

Catching  a  warning  glance  from  his  sister,  he  did  not 
finish  his  sentence,  but  stood  sulkily  beside  his  chair. 
Captain  Elisha  looked  at  him,  then  at  the  girl,  and 
stopped  laughing.  He  folded  his  napkin  with  care,  and 
rose. 

"  That's  about  all  of  it,"  he  said,  shortly.  "  I  asked 
around  at  two  or  three  of  the  neighbors'  houses,  and  the 
last  one  I  asked  knew  where  you'd  moved  and  told  me 
how  to  get  here." 

When  the  trio  were  again  in  the  library,  the  captain 
spoke  once  more. 

"  I'm  'fraid  I've  talked  too  much,"  he  said,  gravely. 
"  I  didn't  realize  how  I  was  runnin'  on.  Thought  I  was 
home,  I  guess,  with  the  fellers  of  my  own  age  down  at 
the  postoffice,  instead  of  bein'  an  old  countryman,  tirin' 
out  you  two  young  city  folks  with  my  yarns.  I  beg  your 
pardon.  Now  you  mustn't  mind  me.  I  see  you're  ex- 
pectin'  company  or  goin'  callin'  somewheres,  so  I'll  just 
go  to  my  bedroom  and  write  Abbie  a  line.  She'll  be 
kind  of  anxious  to  know  if  I  got  here  safe  and  sound  and 
found  you.  Don't  worry  about  me,  I'll  be  comf'table  and 
busy." 

He  turned  to  go.     Caroline  looked  at  him  in  surprise. 

"  We  are  not  expecting  callers,"  she  said.  "  And  cer 
tainly  we  are  not  going  out  to-night.  Why  should  you 
think  such  a  thing  ?  " 

It  was  her  uncle's  turn  to  show  surprise. 

"  Why,"  he  said,  with  a  glance  at  Stephen,  "  I  see  that 
you're  all  dressed  up,  and  so  I  thought,  naturally — M 

64 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  paused. 

Young  Warren  grunted  contemptuously. 

"  We  dressed  for  dinner,  that  is  all,"  said  Caroline. 

"  You  —  you  mean  you  put  these  clothes  on  every 
night?" 

"  Certainly." 

Captain  Elisha  was  plainly  very  much  astonished. 

"  Well,"  he  observed,  slowly.  "I  —  guess  I've  made 
another  mistake.  Hum !  Good  night." 

"  Good  night,"  said  Stephen,  quickly.  Caroline,  how 
ever,  seemed  embarrassed. 

"  Captain  Warren,"  she  said,  "  I  thought  possibly  you 
might  wish  to  talk  business  with  my  brother  and  me. 
We  —  we  understand  that  you  have  come  on  business 
connected  with  father's  will.  It  seems  to  me  that  the 
sooner  we  —  we — " 

"  Get  it  over  the  better,  hey  ?  Well,  maybe  you're 
right.  It's  an  odd  business  for  an  old  salt  like  me  to 
be  mixed  up  in,  that's  a  fact.  If  it  hadn't  been  so  odd, 
if  I  hadn't  thought  there  must  be  some  reason,  some 
partic'lar  reason,  I  —  well,  I  guess  I'd  have  stayed  to 
home  where  I  belong.  You  mustn't  think,"  he  added, 
seriously,  "  that  I  don't  realize  I'm  as  out  of  place 
amongst  you  and  your  rich  friends  as  a  live  fish  in  a 
barrel  of  sawdust.  That's  all  right;  you  needn't  trouble 
to  say  no.  But  you  must  understand  that,  realizin'  it, 
I'm  not  exactly  imposin'  myself  on  you  for  pleasure  or  — 
well,  from  choice.  I'm  so  built  that  I  can't  shirk  when 
my  conscience  tells  me  I  shouldn't,  that's  all.  I'm  kind 
of  tired  to-night,  and  I  guess  you  are.  To-morrow 
mornin',  if  it's  agreeable  to  all  hands,  we  will  have  a  little 
business  talk.  I'll  have  to  see  Lawyer  Graves  pretty  soon, 
and  have  a  gen'ral  look  at  your  pa's  affairs.  Then,  if 
everything  is  all  right  and  I  feel  my  duty's  done,  I'll 

65 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

probably  go  back  to  the  Cape  and  leave  you  to  him,  or 
somebody  else  able  to  look  out  for  you.  Until  then  I'm 
afraid,"  with  a  smile  which  had  a  trace  of  bitterness  in 
it ;  "  I'm  afraid  you'll  have  to  do  the  best  you  can  witk 
me.  I'll  try  to  be  no  more  of  a  nuisance  than  I  can  help. 
Good  night." 

When  the  two  young  people  were  left  alone,  Caroline 
turned  to  her  brother. 

"  Steve,"  she  said,  "  I'm  afraid  you  were  a  little  rude. 
I'm  afraid  you  hurt  his  feelings." 

The  boy  stared  at  her  in  wonder.  "  Hurt  his  feel 
ings  !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  His  feelings !  Well,  by  Jove ! 
Caro,  you're  a  wonder !  Did  you  expect  me  to  throw  my 
arms  around  his  neck?  If  he  had  had  any  feelings  at 
all,  if  he  was  the  slightest  part  of  a  gentleman,  do  you 
suppose  he  would  come  here  and  disgrace  us  as  he  is 
doing?  Who  invited  him?  Did  we?  I  guess  not!" 

"But  he  is  father's  brother,  and  father  asked  him  to 
come." 

"  No,  he  didn't.  He  asked  him  —  heaven  knows  why 
—  to  look  out  for  our  money  affairs.  That's  bad 
enough;  but  he  didn't  ask  him  to  live  with  us.  He 
sha'n't!  by  gad,  he  sha'n't!  You  may  be  as  sweet  to 
him  as  you  like,  but  I'll  make  it  my  business  to  give  him 
the  cold  shoulder  every  chance  I  get.  I'll  freeze  him 
out,  that's  what  I'll  do  —  freeze  him  out.  Why,  Caro ! 
be  sensible.  Think  what  his  staying  here  means.  Can 
we  take  him  about  with  us?  Can  our  friends  meet  him 
as  —  as  our  uncle  ?  He's  got  to  be  made  to  go.  Hasn't 
he  now?  Hasn't  he?" 

The  girl  was  silent  for  a  moment.  Then  she  covered 
her  face  with  her  hands.  "  Oh,  yes ! "  she  sobbed. 
"  Oh,  yes,  he  must !  he  must!  Why  did  father  do  it?  " 

66 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  Warren  breakfast  hour  was  nine  o'clock. 
At  a  quarter  to   nine   Caroline,   entering  the 
library,  found  Stephen  seated  by  the  fire  read 
ing  the  morning  paper. 

"  Good  morning,"  she  said.  Then,  looking  about  the 
room,  asked,  "  Has  —  has  he  been  here  ?  " 

Her  brother  shook  his  head.  "  You  mean  Uncle 
'Lish?"  he  asked,  cheerfully.  "No,  he  hasn't  At 
least,  I  haven't  seen  him  and  I  haven't  made  any  in 
quiries.  I  shall  manage  to  survive  if  he  never  appears. 
Let  sleeping  relatives  lie,  that's  my  motto." 

He  laughed  at  his  own  joke  and  turned  the  page  of 
the  paper.  The  butler  entered. 

"  Breakfast  is  served,  Miss  Caroline,"  he  announced. 

"  Has  Captain  Warren  come  from  his  room  ?  "  asked 
the  young  lady. 

"  No,  Miss  Caroline.     That  is,  I  haven't  seen  him." 

Stephen  tossed  the  paper  on  the  floor  and  rose. 

"  I  wonder  — "  he  began.  Then,  with  a  broad  grin, 
"  A  sudden  thought  strikes  me,  Sis.  He  has  undoubtedly 
blown  out  the  gas." 

"  Steve !     How  can  you !  " 

"  Perfectly  simple.  Absolutely  reasonable.  Just  what 
might  have  been  expected.  *  He  has  gone,  but  we  shall 
miss  him.'  Come  on,  Caro;  I'm  hungry.  Let  the  old 
hayseed  sleep.  You  and  I  can  have  a  meal  in  peace.1 
Heavens !  you  don't  care  for  another  experience  like  last 
night's,  do  you  ?  " 

67 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"'  Edwards,"  said  Caroline,  "  you  may  knock  at 
Captain  Warren's  door  and  tell  him  breakfast  is 
served." 

"  Yes,"  commanded  Stephen,  "  and  tell  him  not  to 
hurry  on  our  account.  Come,  Caro,  come !  You're  not 
pining  for  his  society.  Well,  wait  then !  7  won't !  " 

He  marched  angrily  out  of  the  room.  His  sister  hesi 
tated,  her  wish  to  follow  complicated  by  a  feeling  of  duty 
to  a  guest,  no  matter  how  unwelcome.  The  butler  reap 
peared,  looking  puzzled. 

"  He's  not  there,  miss  ?  "  he  said. 

"  Not  there  ?    Not  in  his  room  ?  " 

"  No,  Miss  Caroline.  I  knocked,  and  he  didn't  an 
swer,  so  I  looked  in  and  he  wasn't  there.  His  bed's  been 
slept  in,  but  he's  gone." 

"  Gone  ?     And  you  haven't  seen  him  ?  " 

"  No,  miss.  I've  been  up  and  about  since  half  past 
seven,  and  I  can't  understand  where  he  could  have  got 
to." 

The  door  of  the  hall  opened  and  shut.  Edwards 
darted  from  the  library.  A  moment  afterwards  Cap 
tain  Elisha  strolled  in.  He  was  wearing  his  overcoat, 
and  his  hat  was  in  his  hand. 

"  Good  mornin',  Caroline,"  he  hailed,  in  his  big  voice. 
"  Surprised  to  see  me,  are  you  ?  Ho !  ho !  So  was  the 
Commodore.  He  couldn't  understand  how  I  got  in  with 
out  ringin'.  Well,  you  see,  I'm  used  to  turnin'  out 
pretty  early,  and  when  it  got  to  be  most  seven  o'clock, 
I  couldn't  lay  to  bed  any  longer,  so  I  got  up,  dressed, 
and  went  for  a  walk.  I  fixed  the  door  latch  so's  I  could 
come  in  quiet.  You  haven't  waited  breakfast  for  me, 
I  hope." 

"  No ;  it  is  ready  now,  however." 

"  Ready  now,"  the  captain  looked  at  his  watch. 

68 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Yes,  I  should  think  so.  It's  way  into  the  forenoon. 
You  have  waited  for  me,  haven't  you?  I'm  awfully 
sorry." 

"  No,  we  have  not  waited.  Our  breakfast  hour  is 
nine.  Pardon  me  for  neglecting  to  tell  you  that  last 
evening." 

"  Oh,  that's  all  right.  Now  you  trot  right  out  and 
eat  I've  had  mine." 

"Had  your  breakfast?" 

"  Yes,  indeed.  When  I'm  home,  Abbie  and  I  usually 
eat  about  seven,  so  I  get  sort  of  sharp-set  if  I  wait  after 
that.  I  cal'lated  you  city  folks  was  late  sleepers,  and 
I  wouldn't  want  to  make  any  trouble,  so  I  found  a  little 
eating  house  down  below  here  a  ways  and  had  a  cup  of 
coffee  and  some  bread  and  butter  and  mush.  Then  I 
went  cruisin'  round  in  Central  Park  a  spell.  This  is 
Central  Park  over  across  here,  ain't  it  ?  " 

"  Yes."     The  girl  was  too  astonished  to  say  more. 

"  I  thought  'twas.  I'd  been  through  part  of  it  afore, 
but  'twas  years  ago,  and  it's  such  a  big  place  and  the 
paths  run  so  criss-cross  I  got  sort  of  mixed  up,  and  it 
took  me  longer  to  get  out  than  it  did  to  get  in.  I  had 
the  gen'ral  points  of  the  compass,  and  I  guess  I  could 
have  made  a  pretty  average  straight  run  for  home,  but 
every  time  I  wanted  to  cut  across  lots  there  was  a 
policeman  lookin'  at  me,  so  I  had  to  stick  to  the  channel. 
That's  what  made  me  so  late.  Now  do  go  and  eat  your 
breakfast.  I  won't  feel  easy  till  I  see  you  start." 

Caroline  departed,  and  the  captain,  after  a  visit  to 
his  own  room,  where  he  left  his  coat  and  hat,  returned 
to  the  library,  picked  up  the  paper  which  his  nephew  had 
dropped,  and  began  reading. 

After  breakfast  came  the  "  business  talk."  It  was  a 
brief  one.  Captain  Elisha  soon  discovered  that  his 

69 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

brother's  children  knew  very  little  concerning  their 
father's  affairs.  They  had  always  plenty  of  money,  had 
been  indulged  in  practically  every  wish,  and  had  never 
had  to  think  or  plan  for  themselves.  As  to  the  size  of 
the  estate,  they  knew  nothing  more  than  Mr.  Graves  had 
told  them,  which  was  that,  instead  of  the  several  millions 
which  rumor  had  credited  A.  Rodgers  Warren  with  pos 
sessing,  five  hundred  thousand  dollars  would  probably 
be  the  extent  of  their  inheritance,  and  that,  therefore, 
they  must  live  economically.  As  a  first  step  in  that  direc 
tion,  they  had  given  up  their  former  home  and  moved 
to  the  apartment. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  mused  the  captain,  "  I  see.  Mr.  Graves 
didn't  know  about  your  movin',  then?  You  did  it  on 
your  own  hook,  so  to  speak  ?  " 

Stephen  answered  promptly. 

"  Of  course  we  did,"  he  declared.    "  Why  not?  " 

"  No  reason  in  the  world.  A  good  sensible  thing  to 
do,  I  should  say.  Didn't  anybody  advise  you  where  to 
go?" 

"  Why  should  we  need  advice  ? "  Again  it  was 
Stephen  who  replied.  "  We  aren't  kids.  We're  old 
enough  to  decide  some  things  for  ourselves,  I  should 
think." 

"  Yes.  Sartin.  That's  right  But  I  didn't  know  but 
p'raps  some  of  your  friends  might  have  helped  along. 
This  Mrs.  Dunn  now,  she  kind  of  hinted  to  me  that 
she'd  —  well,  done  what  she  could  to  make  you  com- 
f'table." 

"  She  has,"  avowed  Caroline,  warmly.  "  Mrs.  Dunn 
and  Malcolm  have  proved  their  friendship  in  a  thousand 
ways.  We  never  can  repay  them,  Stephen  and  I, 
never ! " 

"  No.  There's  some  things  you  can't  ever  pay,  I 

70 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

know  that.  Mrs.  Dunn  found  this  nice  place  for  you, 
did  she?" 

"  Why,  yes.     She  and  I  found  it  together." 

"  So  ?  That  was  lucky,  wa'n't  it  ?  Advertised  in  the 
newspaper,  was  it ;  or  was  there  a  *  To  Let '  placard  up 
in  the  window?" 

"  No,  certainly  not.  Mrs.  Dunn  knew  that  we  had 
decided  to  move,  and  she  has  a  cousin  who  is  interested 
in  New  York  property.  She  asked  him,  and  he  men 
tioned  this  apartment." 

"  One  of  his  own,  was  it?  " 

"  I  believe  so.  Why  are  you  so  particular  ?  Don't 
you  like  it  ?  " 

Her  tone  was  sharp.  Stephen,  who  resented  his  un 
cle's  questions  as  impertinent  intrusions  upon  the  family 
affairs,  added  one  of  his  own. 

"  Isn't  it  as  good  as  those  in  —  what  do  you  call  it  — 
South  Denboro  ?  "  he  asked,  maliciously. 

Captain  Elisha  laughed  heartily. 

"  Pretty  nigh  as  good,"  he  said.  "  I  didn't  notice  any 
better  on  the  way  to  the  depot  as  I  drove  up.  And  I 
doubt  if  there's  many  new  ones  built  since  I  left.  It's 
a  mighty  fine  lot  of  rooms,  I  think.  What's  the  rent? 
You'll  excuse  my  askin',  things  bein'  as  they  are." 

"  Twenty-two  hundred  a  year,"  answered  his  niece, 
coldly. 

The  captain  looked  at  her,  whistled,  broke  off  the  whis- 
ile  in  the  middle,  and  did  a  little  mental  arithmetic. 

"  Twenty-two  hundred  a  year !  "  he  repeated.  "  That's 
one  hundred  and  eighty  odd  a  month.  Say,  that  cousin 
of  Mrs.  Dunn's  must  want  to  get  his  investment  back. 
You  mean  for  just  these  ten  rooms? " 

Stephen  laughed  scornfully. 

"  Our  guardian  has  been  counting,  Caro,"  he  remarked. 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Yes.  Yes,  I  counted  this  mornin'  when  I  got  up.  I 
was  interested,  naturally." 

"  Sure !  Naturally,  of  course,"  sneered  the  boy. 
"  Did  you  think  the  twenty-two  hundred  was  the  rent 
of  the  entire  building?" 

"  Well,  I  didn't  know.     I  — " 

"  The  rent,"  interrupted  Caroline,  with  dignity,  "  was 
twenty-four  hundred,  but,  thanks  to  Mrs.  Dunn,  who 
explained  to  her  cousin  that  we  were  friends  of  hers,  it 
was  reduced." 

"  We  being  in  reduced  circumstances,"  observed  her 
brother  in  supreme  disgust.  "  Pity  the  poor  orphans ! 
By  gad ! " 

"  That  was  real  nice  of  Mrs.  Dunn,"  declared  Captain 
Elisha,  heartily.  "  She's  pretty  well-off  herself,  I  s'pose 
—  hey,  Caroline  ?  " 

"  I  presume  so." 

"  Yes,  yes.     About  how  much  is  she  wuth,  think  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know.     I  never  inquired." 

"  No.  Well,  down  our  way,"  with  a  chuckle,  "  we 
don't  have  to  inquire.  Ask  anybody  you  meet  what  his 
next  door  neighbor's  wuth,  and  he'll  tell  you  within  a 
hundred,  and  how  he  got  it,  and  how  much  he  owes,  and 
how  he  gets  along  with  his  wife.  Ho !  ho !  Speakin'  of 
wives,  is  this  Mr.  Dunn  married  ?  " 

He  looked  at  his  niece  as  he  asked  the  question.  There 
was  no  reason  why  Caroline  should  blush ;  she  knew  it, 
and  hated  herself  for  doing  it. 

"  No,"  she  answered,  resentfully',  "  he  is  not." 

"  Um-hm.     What's  his  business  ?  " 

"  He  is  connected  with  a  produce  exchange  house,  I 
believe." 

"One  of  the  firm?" 

"  I  don't  know.     In  New  York  we  are  not  as  well 

72 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

posted,  or  as  curious,  concerning  our  friends'  private 
affairs  as  your  townspeople  seem  to  be." 

"  I  guess  that's  so.  I  imagine  New  Yorkers  are  too 
busy  gettin'  it  themselves  to  bother  whether  their  neigh 
bors  have  got  it  or  not.  Well,"  he  went  on,  rising,  "  I 
guess  I've  kept  you  young  folks  from  your  work  or  — 
or  play,  or  whatever  you  was  going  to  do,  long  enough 
for  this  once.  I  think  I'll  go  out  for  a  spell.  I've  got 
an  errand  or  two  I  want  to  do.  What  time  do  you  have 
dinner?" 

"  We  lunch  at  half  past  one,"  answered  Caroline. 
"  We  dine  at  seven." 

"  Oh,  yes,  yes !  I  keep  forgettin'  that  supper's  din 
ner.  Well,  I  presume  likely  I'll  be  back  for  luncheon. 
If  I  ain't,  don't  wait  for  me.  I'll  be  home  afore  supper 
—  there  I  go  again!  —  afore  dinner,  anyhow.  Good- 
by." 

Five  minutes  later  he  was  at  the  street  corner,  inquir 
ing  of  a  policeman  "  the  handiest  way  to  get  to  Pine 
Street."  Following  the  directions  given,  he  boarded  a 
train  at  the  nearest  subway  station,  emerged  at  Wall 
Street,  inquired  once  more,  located  the  street  he  was 
looking  for,  and,  consulting  a  card  which  he  took  from 
a  big  stained  leather  pocket-book,  walked  on,  peering  at 
the  numbers  of  the  buildings  he  passed. 

The  offices  of  Sylvester,  Kuhn,  and  Graves,  were  on 
the  sixteenth  floor  of  a  new  and  gorgeously  appointed 
sky-scraper.  When  Captain  Elisha  entered  the  firm's 
reception  room,  he  was  accosted  by  a  wide-awake  and 
extremely  self-possessed  office  boy. 

"  Who'd  you  want  to  see  ?  "  asked  the  boy,  briskly. 

The  captain  removed  his  hat  and  wiped  his  forehead 
with  his  handkerchief. 

"  Hold  on  a  jiffy,  Sonny,"  he  panted.  "  Just  give  me 

73 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

a  minute  to  sort  of  get  myself  together,  as  you  might  say. 
I  rode  up  in  one  of  those  express  elevators  of  yours,  and 
I  kind  of  feel  as  if  my  boots  had  got  tangled  up  with 
my  necktie.  When  that  elevator  feller  cast  off  from  the 
cellar,  I  begun  to  shut  up  like  a  spyglass.  Whew !  Say, 
Son,  is  Mr.  Graves  in?" 

"  No,"  replied  the  boy,  grinning. 

"  Hum !     Still  in  the  sick  bay,  is  he  —  hey?  " 

"  He's  to  home.     Got  a  cold." 

"  Yup.  It's  too  bad.  Mr.  —  er  —  Sylvester,  is  he 
in?" 

"  Naw,  he  ain't.  And  Mr.  Kuhn's  busy.  Won't  one 
of  the  clerks  do?  What  do  you  want  to  see  the  firm 
about?" 

"  Well,  Son,  I  had  reasons  of  my  own.  However,  I 
guess  I  won't  disturl?  Mr.  Kuhn,  if  he's  busy's  you  say. 
Here !  you  tell  him,  or  Mr.  Sylvester  when  he  comes,  that 
Cap'n  Warren,  Cap'n  Elisha  Warren  of  South  Denboro 
—  better  write  it  down  —  called  and  will  be  back  about 
half  past  twelve  or  thereabouts.  Got  it,  have  you? 
Hum!  is  that  Elisha?  You  don't  tell  me!  I've  been 
spellin'  it  for  sixty  years,  more  or  less,  and  never  real 
ized  it  had  such  possibilities.  Lend  me  your  pencil. 
There !  you  give  Mr.  Sylvester  that  and  tell  him  I'll  see 
him  later.  So  long,  Son." 

He  departed,  smiling.  The  indignant  office  boy  threw 
the  card  on  the  table. 

Captain  Elisha  strolled  down  Pine  Street,  looking 
about  him  with  interest.  It  had  been  years  since  he  vis 
ited  this  locality,  and  the  changes  were  many.  Soon, 
however,  he  began  to  recognize  familiar  landmarks.  He 
was  approaching  the  water  front,  and  there  were  fewer 
new  buildings.  When  he  reached  South  Street  he  was 
thoroughly  at  home. 

74 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

.  The  docks  were  crowded.  The  river  was  alive  with 
small  craft  of  all  kinds.  Steamers  and  schooners  were 
plenty,  but  the  captain  missed  the  old  square-riggers, 
the  clipper  ships  and  barks,  such  as  he  had  sailed  in  as 
cabin  boy,  as  foremast  hand,  and,  later,  commanded  on 
many  seas. 

At  length,  however,  he  saw  four  masts  towering  above 
the  roof  of  a  freight  house.  They  were  not  schooner 
rigged,  those  masts.  The  yards  were  set  square  across, 
and  along  them  were  furled  royals  and  upper  topsails. 
Here,  at  last,  was  a  craft  worth  looking  at.  Captain 
Elisha  crossed  the  street,  hurried  past  the  covered  freight 
house,  and  saw  a  magnificent  great  ship  lying  beside  a 
broad  open  wharf.  Down  the  wharf  he  walked,  joy 
fully,  as  one  who  greets  an  old  friend. 

The  wharf  was  practically  deserted.  An  ancient 
watchman  was  dozing  in  a  sort  of  sentry  box,  but  he  did 
not  wake.  There  was  a  pile  of  foreign-looking  crates 
and  boxes  at  the  further  end  of  the  pier,  evidently  the 
last  bit  of  cargo  waiting  to  be  carted  away.  The  cap 
tain  inspected  the  pile,  recognized  the  goods  as  Chinese 
and  Japanese,  then  read  the  name  on  the  big  ship's  stern. 
She  was  the  Empress  of  the  Ocean,  and  her  home  port 
was  Liverpool. 

Captain  Elisha,  as  a  free-born  Yankee  skipper,  had 
an  inherited  and  cherished  contempt  for  British  "  lime- 
juicers,"  but  he  could  not  help  admiring  this  one.  To 
begin  with,  her  size  and  tonnage  were  enormous.  Also, 
she  was  four-masted,  instead  of  the  usual  three,  and  her 
hull  and  lower  spars  were  of  steel  instead  of  wood.  A 
steel  sailing  vessel  was  something  of  a  novelty  to  the 
captain,  and  he  was  seized  with  a  desire  to  go  aboard  and 
inspect. 

The  ladder  from  ship  to  wharf  was  down,  of  course, 
6  75 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

and  getting  on  board  was  an  easy  matter.  When  he 
reached  the  deck  and  looked  about  him,  the  great  size 
of  the  ship  was  still  more  apparent.  The  bulwarks  were 
as  high  as  a  short  man's  head.  She  was  decked  over  aft, 
and,  as  the  captain  said  afterwards,  "  her  cabins  had  nigh 
as  many  stories  as  a  house."  From  the  roof  of  the  "  first 
story,"  level  with  the  bulwarks,  extended  a  series  of 
bridges,  which  could  be  hoisted  or  lowered,  and  by  means 
of  which  her  officers  could  walk  from  stern  to  bow  with 
out  descending  to  the  deck.  There  was  a  good-sized 
engine  house  forward,  beyond  the  galley  and  forecastle. 
Evidently  the  work  of  hoisting  anchors  and  canvas  was 
done  by  steam. 

The  captain  strolled  about,  looking  her  over.  The 
number  of  improvements  since  his  seagoing  days  was 
astonishing.  He  was  standing  by  the  wheel,  near  the 
companion  way,  wishing  that  he  might  inspect  the  offi 
cers'  quarters,  but  not  liking  to  do  so  without  an  invita 
tion,  when  two  men  emerged  from  the  cabin. 

One  of  the  pair  was  evidently  the  Japanese  steward 
of  the  ship.  The  other  was  a  tall,  clean-cut  young  fel 
low,  whose  general  appearance  and  lack  of  sunburn 
showed  quite  plainly  that  he  was  not  a  seafaring  man 
by  profession.  The  steward  caught  sight  of  Captain 
Elisha,  and,  walking  over,  accosted  him. 

"  Want  to  see  skipper,  sir  ?  "  he  asked,  in  broken  Eng 
lish.  "  He  ashore." 

"  No,  Doctor,"  replied  the  captain,  cheerfully.  "  I 
don't  want  to  see  him.  I've  got  no  business  aboard. 
It's  been  some  time  since  I  trod  the  quarter-deck  of  a 
square-rigger,  and  I  couldn't  resist  the  temptation  of 
tryin'  how  the  planks  felt  under  my  feet.  This  is  con- 
sider'ble  of  a  clipper  you've  got  here,"  he  added. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  steward  grinning. 

76 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Where  you  from  ?  "  asked  Captain  Elisha. 

"  Singapore,  sir." 

"  Cargo  all  out?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Waitin'  for  another  one  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.     We  load  for  Manila  bimeby." 

"  Manila,  hey  ?     Have  a  good  passage  across  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir.     She  good  ship." 

"  Shouldn't  wonder.  How  d'ye  do,  sir,"  to  the  young 
man,  who  was  standing  near.  "  Hope  you  won't  think 
I'm  crowdin'  in  where  I  don't  belong.  I  was  just  tellin' 
the  doctor  here  that  it  had  been  some  time  since  I  trod  a 
quarter-deck,  and  I  thought  I'd  see  if  I'd  forgot  the  feel." 

"  Have  you  ?  "  asked  the  young  man,  smiling. 

"  Guess  not.  Seems  kind  of  nat'ral.  I  never  handled 
such  a  whale  of  a  craft  as  this,  though.  Didn't  have 
many  of  'em  in  my  day.  Come  over  in  her,  did  you  ?  " 

"  No,"  with  a  shake  of  the  head.  "  No  such  luck. 
I'm  a  land  lubber,  just  scouting  round,  that's  all.  She's 
a  bully  vessel,  isn't  she  ?  " 

"  Looks  so.  Tell  you  better  after  I've  seen  what  she 
could  do  in  a  full-sail  breeze.  All  hands  ashore,  Doc 
tor?" 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  steward. 

"  Crew  paid  off  and  spendin'  their  money,  I  s'pose. 
Well,  if  it  ain't  against  orders,  I'd  kind  of  like  to  look 
around  a  little  mite.  May  I  ?  " 

The  steward  merely  grinned.  His  companion  answered 
for  him. 

"  Certainly  you  may,"  he  said.  "  I'm  a  friend  of  one 
of  the  consignees,  and  I'd  be  glad  to  show  you  the  ship, 
if  you  like.  Shall  we  begin  with  the  cabins?" 

Captain  Elisha,  delighted  with  the  opportunity,  ex 
pressed  his  thanks,  and  the  tour  of  inspection  began. 

77 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

The  steward  remained  on  deck,  but  the  captain  and  his 
new  acquaintance  strolled  through  the  officers'  quarters 
together. 

"  Jerushy ! "  exclaimed  the  former,  as  he  viewed  the 
main  cabin.  "  Say,  you  could  pretty  nigh  have  a  dance 
here,  couldn't  you?  A  small  one.  This  reminds  me  of 
the  cabin  aboard  the  Sea  Gull,  first  vessel  I  went  mate 
of  —  it's  so  diff'rent.  Aboard  her  we  had  to  walk  sittin' 
down.  There  wa'n't  room  in  the  cabin  for  more'n  one 
to  stand  up  at  a  time.  But  she  could  sail,  just  the  same 
—  and  carry  it,  too.  I've  seen  her  off  the  Horn  with 
studdin'  sails  set,  when  craft  twice  her  length  and  ton 
nage  had  everything  furled  above  the  tops'l  yard.  Hi 
hum !  you  mustn't  mind  an  old  salt  runnin'  on  this  way. 
I've  been  out  of  the  pickle  tub  a  good  while,  but  I  cal'late 
the  brine  ain't  all  out  of  my  system." 

His  guide's  eyes  snapped. 

"  I  understand,"  he  said,  laughing.  "  I've  never  been 
at  sea,  on  a  long  voyage,  in  my  life,  but  I  can  understand 
just  how  you  feel.  It's  in  my  blood,  I  guess.  I  come 
of  a  salt  water  line.  My  people  were  from  Belfast, 
Maine,  and  every  man  of  them  went  to  sea." 

"  Belfast,  hey  ?  They  turned  out  some  A  No.  i  sailors 
in  Belfast  I  sailed  under  a  Cap'n  Pearson  from  there 
once  —  James  Pearson,  his  name  was." 

"  He  was  my  great  uncle.  I  was  named  for  him.  My 
name  is  James  Pearson,  also." 

"  What? "  Captain  Elisha  was  hugely  delighted. 
"  Mr.  Pearson,  shake  hands.  I  want  to  tell  you  that 
your  Uncle  Jim  was  a  seaman  of  the  kind  you  dream 
about,  but  seldom  meet.  I  was  his  second  mate  three 
v'yages.  My  name's  Elisha  Warren." 

Mr.  Pearson  shook  hands  and  laughed,  good-humor- 
edly. 

78 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Glad  to  meet  you,  Captain  Warren,"  he  said.  "  And 
I'm  glad  you  knew  Uncle  Jim.  As  a  youngster,  he  was 
my  idol.  He  could  spin  yarns  that  were  worth  listen 
ing  to." 

"  I  bet  you !  He'd  -seen  things  wuth  yarnin'  about. 
So  you  ain't  a  sailor,  hey  ?  Livin'  in  New  York  ?  " 

The  young  man  nodded.  "  Yes,"  he  said.  Then,  with 
a  dry  smile,  "If  you  call  occupying  a  hall  bedroom  and 
eating  at  a  third-rate  boarding-house  table  living.  How 
ever,  it's  my  own  fault.  I've  been  a  newspaper  man 
since  I  left  college.  But  I  threw  up  my  job  six  months 
ago.  Since  then  I've  been  free-lancing." 

"  Have,  hey  ?  "  The  captain  was  too  polite  to  ask  fur 
ther  questions,  but  he  had  not  the  slightest  idea  what 
"  free-lancing  "  might  be.  Pearson  divined  his  perplex 
ity  and  explained. 

"  I've  had  a  feeling,"  he  said,  "  that  I  might  write  mag 
azine  articles  and  stories  —  yes,  possibly  a  novel  or  two. 
It's  a  serious  disease,  but  the  only  way  to  find  out  whether 
it's  chronic  or  not  is  to  experiment.  That's  what  I'm 
doing  now.  The  thing  I'm  at  work  on  may  turn  out  to 
be  a  sea  story.  So  I  spend  some  time  around  the  wharves 
and  aboard  the  few  sailing  ships  in  port,  picking  up  ma 
terial." 

Captain  Elisha  patted  him  on  the  back. 

"  Now  don't  you  get  discouraged,"  he  said.  "  I  used 
to  have  an  idea  that  novel  writin'  and  picture  paintin' 
was  poverty  jobs  for  men  with  healthy  appetites,  but  I've 
changed  my  mind.  I  don't  know's  you'll  believe  it,  but 
I've  just  found  out,  for  a  fact,  that  some  painters  get 
twenty-two  thousand  dollars  for  one  picture.  For 
one,  mind  you.  And  a  little  mite  of  a  thing,  too,  that 
couldn't  have  cost  scarcely  anything  to  paint.  Maybe 
novels  sell  for  just  as  much.  /  don't  know." 

79 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

His  companion  laughed  heartily.  "  I'm  afraid  not, 
Captain/'  he  said.  "  Few,  at  any  rate.  I  should  be  satis 
fied  with  considerably  less,  to  begin  with.  Are  you  liv 
ing  here  in  town?" 

"  Well  —  we-11,  I  don't  know.  I  ain't  exactly  livin', 
and  I  ain't  exactly  boardin',  but  —  Say!  ain't  that  the 
doctor  callin'  you  ?  " 

It  was  the  steward,  and  there  was  an  anxious  ring  in 
his  voice.  Pearson  excused  himself  and  hurried  out  «f 
the  cabin.  Captain  Elisha  lingered  for  a  final  look 
about.  Then  he  followed  leisurely,  becoming  aware,  as 
he  reached  the  open  air,  of  loud  voices  in  angry  dialogue. 

Entrances  to  the  Empress  of  the  Ocean's  cabins  were 
on  the  main  deck,  and  also  on  the  raised  half-deck  at  the 
stern,  near  the  wheel,  the  binnacle  and  the  officers'  corned- 
beef  tubs,  swinging  in  their  frames.  From  this  upper 
deck  two  flights  of  steps  led  down  to  the  main  deck  be 
low.  At  the  top  of  one  of  these  flights  stood  young 
Pearson,  cool  and  alert.  Behind  him  half  crouched  the 
Japanese  steward,  evidently  very  much  frightened.  At 
the  foot  of  the  steps  were  grouped  three  rough  looking 
men,  foreigners  and  sailors  without  doubt,  and  partially 
intoxicated.  The  three  men  were  an  ugly  lot,  and  they 
were  all  yelling  and  jabbering  together  in  a  foreign 
lingo.  As  the  captain  emerged  from  the  passage  to  the 
open  deck,  he  heard  Pearson  reply  in  the  same  language. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  he  asked. 

Pearson  answered  without  turning  his  head. 

"  Drunken  sailors,"  he  explained.  "  Part  of  the  crew 
here.  They've  been  uptown,  got  full,  and  come  back  to 
square  a  grudge  they  seem  to  have  against  the  steward. 
I'm  telling  them  they'd  better  give  up  and  go  ashore,  if 
they  know  when  they're  well  ofF." 

The  three  fellows  by  the  ladder's  foot  were  consulting 

80 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

together.  On  the  wharf  were  half  a  dozen  loungers,  col 
lected  by  the  prospect  of  a  row. 

"  If  I  can  hold  them  off  for  a  few  minutes,"  went  on 
Pearson,  "  we'll  be  all  right.  The  wharf  watchman  has 
gone  for  the  police.  Here !  drop  it !  What  are  you  up 
to?" 

One  of  the  sailors  had  drawn  a  knife.  The  other  two 
reached  for  their  belts  behind,  evidently  intending  to  fol 
low  suit.  From  the  loafers  on  the  wharf  came  shouts 
of  encouragement. 

"  Do  the  dude  up,  Pedro !  Give  him  what's  comin'  to 
him." 

The  trio  formed  for  a  rush.  The  steward,  with  a 
shrill  scream,  fled  to  the  cabin.  Pearson  did  not  move ; 
he  even  smiled.  The  next  moment  he  was  pushed  to 
one  side,  and  Captain  Elisha  stood  at  the  top  of  the  steps. 

"  Here !  "  he  said,  sternly.     "  What's  all  this  ?  " 

The  three  sailors,  astonished  at  this  unexpected  addi 
tion  to  their  enemies'  forces,  hesitated.  Pearson  laid 
kis  hand  on  the  captain's  arm. 

"  Be  careful,"  he  said.     "  They're  dangerous." 

"  Dangerous  ?  Them  ?  I've  seen  their  kind  afore. 
Here,  you !  "  turning  to  the  three  below.  "  What  do  you 
mean  by  this?  Put  down  that  knife,  you  lubber!  Do 
you  want  to  be  put  in  irons?  Over  the  side  with  you, 
you  swabs !  Git !  " 

He  began  descending  the  ladder.  Whether  the  sailors 
were  merely  too  surprised  to  resist,  or  because  they  rec 
ognized  the  authority  of  the  deep  sea  in  Captain  Elisha's 
voice  and  face  is  a  question.  At  any  rate,  as  he  de 
scended  they  backed  away. 

"  Mutiny  on  board  a  ship  of  mine  ?  "  roared  the  cap 
tain.  "  What  do  you  mean  by  it  ?  Why,  I'll  have  you 
tied  up  and  put  on  bread  and  water.  Over  the  side  with 

81 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

you!     Mutiny  on  board  of  me!     Lively!     Tumble   up 
there ! " 

With  every  order  came  a  stride  forward  and  a  cor 
respondingly  backward  movement  on  the  part  of  the 
three.  The  performance  would  have  been  ridiculous  if 
Pearson  had  not  feared  that  it  might  become  tragic.  He 
was  descending  the  steps  to  his  new  acquaintance's  aid, 
when  there  rose  a  chorus  of  shouts  from  the  wharf. 

"  The  cops !  the  cops !     Look  out !  " 

That  was  the  finishing  touch.  The  next  moment  the 
three  "  mutineers  "  were  over  the  side  and  running  as  fast 
as  their  alcoholic  condition  would  permit  down  the  wharf. 

"  Well,  by  George !  "  exclaimed  Pearson. 

Captain  Elisha  seemed  to  be  coming  out  of  a  dream. 
He  stood  still,  drew  his  hand  across  his  forehead,  and 
then  began  to  laugh. 

"  Well !  "  he  stammered.  "  Well,  I  snum !  I  —  I  - 
Mr.  Pearson,  I  wonder  what  on  earth  you  must  think  of 
me.  I  declare  the  sight  of  that  gang  set  me  back  about 
twenty  years.  They  —  they  must  have  thought  I  was  the 
new  skipper!  Did  you  hear  me  tell  'em  they  couldn't 
mutiny  aboard  of  me?  Ho!  ho!  Well,  I  am  an  old 
idiot!" 

Pearson  stuck  his  fist  into  the  palm  of  his  other  hand. 

"  I've  got  it ! "  he  cried.  "  I  knew  your  name  was 
familiar.  Why,  you're  the  mate  that  handled  the  mu 
tinous  crew  aboard  Uncle  Jim's  bark,  the  Pacer,  off 
Mauritius,  in  the  typhoon,  when  he  was  hurt  and  in  the 
cabin.  I've  heard  him  tell  it  a  dozen  times.  Well,  this 
is  a  lucky  day  for  me !  " 

Captain  Elisha  was  evidently  pleased.  "  So  he  told 
you  that,  did  he  ?  "  he  began.  "  That  was  a,  time  and  a 
half,  I—" 

He  was  interrupted.     Over  the  rail  appeared  a  blue 

82 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

helmet,  and  an  instant  later  a  big  and  very  pompous  po 
lice  officer  leaped  to  the  deck.  He  was  followed  by  the 
wharf  watchman,  who  looked  frightened. 

"  Where's  the  other  one  of  them  ?  "  demanded  the  po 
liceman.  "  Oh,  it's  you,  is  it?  Well,  you're  too  old  to  be 
gettin'  drunk  and  fightin'.  Come  along  now,  peaceable, 
and  let's  have  no  words  about  it." 

He  advanced  and  laid  a  hand  on  the  captain's  arm. 

"  You're  under  arrest,"  he  announced.  "  Will  you 
come  along  quiet?" 

"  I'm  under  arrest  ?  "  repeated  Captain  Elisha.  "  Un 
der  —  My  soul  and  body !  Why,  I  ain't  done  anything." 

"  Yes,  I  know.  Nobody's  done  nothin'.  Come  on, 
or  shall  I  —  Hello,  Mr.  Pearson,  sir !  How  d'you  do  ?  " 

Pearson  had  stepped  forward. 

"  Slattery,"  he  said,  "  you've  made  a  mistake.  Let  me 
tell  you  about  it."  He  drew  the  officer  aside  and  whis 
pered  in  his  ear.  After  a  rather  lengthy  conversation, 
the  guardian  of  the  peace  turned  to  the  watchman. 

"  What  d'you  mean  by  tellin'  all  them  lies  ?  "  he  de 
manded. 

"  Lies  ?  "  repeated  the  astonished  watchman.  "  I  never 
told  no  lies." 

"  You  did.  You  said  this  gentleman,"  indicating  the 
nervous  and  apprehensive  Captain  Elisha,  "  was  fightin' 
and  murderin'.  I  ask  your  pardon,  sir.  'Twas  this 
bloke's  foolishness.  G'wan  ashore !  You  make  me  sick. 
Good  day,  Mr.  Pearson." 

He  departed,  driving  his  new  victim  before  him  and 
tongue-lashing  him  all  the  way.  The  captain  drew  a  long 
breath. 

"  Say,  Mr.  Pearson,"  he  declared,  "  a  minute  or  so  ago 
you  said  this  was  a  lucky  day  for  you.  I  cal'late  it's  a 
luckier  one  for  me.  If  it  hadn't  been  for  you  I'd  been 

83 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

took  up.  Yes,  sir,  took  up  and  carted  off  to  the  lock 
up.  Whew!  that  would  have  looked  well  in  the  papers, 
wouldn't  it?  And  my  niece  and  nephew  .  .  .  Je- 
rushy!  I'm  mightily  obliged  to  you.  How  did  you 
handle  that  policeman  so  easily  ?  " 

Pearson  laughed.  "  Oh,"  he  replied,  "  a  newspaper 
training  and  acquaintance  has  its  advantages.  Slattery 
knows  me,  and  I  know  him." 

"  Well,  I  thank  you,  I  do  so." 

"  You  needn't.  I  wouldn't  have  missed  meeting  you 
and  seeing  you  handle  those  fellows  for  a  good  deal. 
And  besides,  you're  not  going  to  escape  so  easy.  You 
must  lunch  with  me." 

The  captain  started,  hastily  pulled  out  his  watch,  and 
looked  at  it. 

"  Quarter  to  one  1 "  he  cried.  "  And  I  said  I'd  be  back 
at  that  lawyer's  office  at  half-past  twelve.  No,  no,  Mr. 
Pearson,  I  can't  go  to  lunch  with  you,  but  I  do  wish  you'd 
come  and  see  me  some  time.  My  address  for  —  for  a 
spell,  anyhow  —  is  Central  Park  West/'  giving  the  num 
ber,  "  and  the  name  is  Warren,  same  as  mine.  Will 
you  come  some  evenin'?  I'd  be  tickled  to  death  to  see 
you." 

The  young  man  was  evidently  delighted. 

"Will  I?"  he  exclaimed.  "Indeed  I  will.  I  warn 
you,  Captain  Warren,  that  I  shall  probably  keep  you  busy 
spinning  sea  yarns." 

"  Nothin'  I  like  better,  though  I'm  afraid  my  yarns'll 
be  pretty  dull  alongside  of  your  Uncle  Jim's." 

"  I'll  risk  it.  Good-by  and  good  luck.  I  shall  see 
you  very  soon." 

"  That's  right ;  do.     So  long." 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  boy,  Captain  Elisha's  acquaintance  of  the 
morning,  was  out,  regaling  himself  with  crul 
lers  and  milk  at  a  pushcart  on  Broad  Street, 
when  the  captain  returned  to  the  officers  of  Sylvester, 
Kuhn  and  Graves.  The  clerk  who  had  taken  his  place 
was  very  respectful. 

"  Captain  Warren,"  he  said,  "  Mr.  Sylvester  was  sorry 
to  miss  you.  He  waited  until  half  past  twelve  and  left 
word  for  us  to  telephone  if  you  came.  Our  Mr.  Graves 
is  still  ill,  and  the  matter  of  your  brother's  estate  must 
be  discussed  without  further  delay.  Please  sit  down  and 
I  will  telephone." 

The  captain  seated  himself  on  the  leather-covered 
bench,  and  the  clerk  entered  the  inner  office.  He  re 
turned,  a  few  moments  later,  to  say: 

"  Mr.  Sylvester  is  at  the  Central  Club.  He  wished  me 
to  ask  if  you  could  conveniently  join  him  there." 

Captain  Elisha  pondered.  "  Why,  yes,"  he  replied, 
slowlr,  "  I  s'pose  I  could.  I  don't  know  why  I  couldn't. 
Where  is  this  —  er  —  club  of  his  ?  " 

"  Or  Fifth  Avenue,  near  Fifty-second  Street.  I'll 
send  or.e  of  our  boys  with  you  if  you  like." 

"  No,  no !  I  can  pilot  myself,  I  guess.  I  ain't  so  old 
I  can't  isk  my  way.  Though — "  with  a  reminiscent 
chuckle  — "  if  the  folks  I  ask  are  all  sufferin'  from  that 
'  Ugh '  disease,  I  sha'n't  make  much  headway." 

"  What  disease  ?  "  asked  the  puzzled  clerk. 

85 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Oh,  iiothin'.  I  was  just  thinkin'  out  loud,  that's  all. 
Mr.  Sylvester  wants  to  see  me  right  off,  does  he  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he  said  he  would  wait  if  I  'phoned  him  you  were 
coming." 

"  Um-hm.  Well,  you  can  tell  him  I've  left  the  dock, 
bound  in  his  direction.  Say,  that  young  chap  that  was 
here  when  I  called  the  fust  time  —  studyin'  to  be  a  law 
yer,  is  he?" 

"Who?  Tim?  No,  indeed.  He's  only  the  office 
boy.  Why  did  you  ask  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  was  just  wonderin'.  I  had  a  notion  he  might 
be  in  trainin'  for  a  judgeship,  he  was  so  high  and 
mighty.  Ho!  ho!  He's  got  talent,  that  boy  has.  No 
body  but  a  born  genius  could  have  made  as  many 
mistakes  in  one  name  as  he  did  when  he  undertook  te 
spell  Elisha.  Well,  sir,  I'm  much  obliged  to  you.  Good 
day." 

The  Central  Club  is  a  ponderous  institution  occupying 
a  becomingly  gorgeous  building  on  the  Avenue.  The 
captain  found  his  way  to  its  door  without  much  trouble. 
A  brass-buttoned  attendant  answered  his  ring  and  super 
ciliously  inquired  his  business.  Captain  Elisha,  not  be 
ing  greatly  in  awe  of  either  buttons  or  brief  authority, 
calmly  hailed  the  attendant  as  "  Gen'ral "  and  informed 
him  that  he  was  there  to  see  Mr.  Sylvester,  if  the  Matter 
was  "  on  deck  anywheres." 

"  Tell  him  it's  Cap'n  Warren,  Major,"  he  added  cheer 
fully  ;  "  he's  expectin'  me." 

The  attendant  brusquely  ushered  the  visitor  into  a 
leather-upholstered  reception  room  and  left  him.  The 
captain  amused  himself  by  looking  at  the  prints  and 
framed  letters  and  autographs  on  the  walls.  Then  a 
round,  red,  pleasant-faced  man  entered. 

"  Pardon  me,"  he  said,  "is  this  Captain  \Varren?" 

86 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Yes,  sir,"  was  the  reply.  "  That's  my  name.  This 
is  Mr.  Sylvester,  ain't  it?  Glad  to  know  you,  sir." 

"  Thanks.  Sorry  to  have  made  you  travel  way  up 
here,  Captain.  I  waited  until  twelve-thirty,  but  as  you 
didn't  come  then,  I  gave  you  up.  Hope  I  haven't  in 
convenienced  you." 

"  No,  no.  Not  a  mite.  Might  just  as  well  be  here  as 
anywhere.  Don't  think  another  thing  about  it." 

"  Have  you  lunched,  Captain  Warren  ?  " 

"  No,  come  to  think  of  it,  I  ain't.  I've  been  kind  of 
busy  this  forenoon,  and  a  little  thing  like  dinner  — 
luncheon,  I  mean  —  slipped  my  mind.  Though  'tain't 
often  I  have  those  slips,  I'm  free  to  say.  Ho !  ho !  Ab- 
bie  —  she's  my  second  cousin,  my  housekeeper  —  says 
I'm  an  unsartin  critter,  but  there's  two  things  about  me 
she  can  always  count  on,  one's  that  my  clothes  have  al 
ways  got  a  button  loose  somewheres,  and  t'other's  my 
appetite." 

He  laughed,  and  Sylvester  laughed  with  him. 

"  Well,"  observed  the  lawyer,  "  I'm  not  sure  that  I 
couldn't  qualify  on  both  of  those  counts.  At  any  rate 
I'm  sure  of  my  appetite.  I  had  a  lunch  engagement  with 
an  acquaintance  of  mine,  but  he  hasn't  appeared,  so  you 
must  take  his  place.  We'll  lunch  together." 

"  Well,  now,  I'd  like  to  fust-rate,  and  it's  real  kind 
of  you,  Mr.  Sylvester;  but  I  don't  know's  I'd  better. 
Your  friend  may  heave  in  sight,  after  all,  and  I'd  be  in 
the  way." 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.  And  I  said  '  acquaintance,'  not 
'friend.'  Of  course  you  will!  You  must.  We  can 
talk  business  while  we're  eating,  if  you  like." 

"  All  right.  And  I'm  ever  so  much  obliged  to  you.  Is 
there  an  eatin'  house  near  here  ?  " 

"  Oh,  we'll  eat  right  here  at  the  club.     Come." 

87 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  led  the  way,  and  Captain  Elisha  followed.  The 
Central  Club  has  a  large,  exclusive,  and  wealthy  mem 
bership,  and  its  quarters  correspond.  The  captain  gazed 
about  him  at  the  marble  floors  and  pillars,  the  paintings 
and  busts,  with  interest.  After  checking  his  hat  and 
coat,  as  they  entered  the  elevator  he  asked  a  question. 

"Which  floor  is  your  club  on,  Mr.  Sylvester?"  he 
asked. 

"Floor?  Why,  the  dining  room  is  on  the  fourth,  if 
that's  what  you  mean." 

"  No,  I  meant  how  many  rooms  do  you  rent?" 

"  We  occupy  the  entire  building.  It  is  our  own,  and  a 
comparatively  new  one.  We  built  it  three  years  ago." 

"You  mean  this  whole  shebang  is  just  one  club?" 

"  Certainly." 

"Hum!     I  see.    Well,  I—" 

"  What  were  you  going  to  say  ?  " 

"  Nothin'.  I  was  wonderin'  what  fool  thing  I'd  ask 
next.  I'm  more  used  to  lodge  rooms  than  I  am  to  clubs, 
I  guess.  I'd  like  to  take  home  a  picture  of  this  place 
to  Theophilus  Kenney.  Theoph's  been  raisin'  hob  be 
cause  the  Odd  Fellows  built  on  to  their  buildin'.  He 
said  one  room  was  enough  for  any  society.  'T would 
be,  if  we  was  all  his  kind  of  society.  Theoph's  so 
small  he  could  keep  house  in  a  closet.  He's  always 
hollerin'  in  meetin'  about  his  soul.  I  asked  the  minister 
if  it  didn't  seem  ridic'lous  for  Kenney  to  make  such  a 
big  noise  over  such  a  little  thing.  This  where  we  get 
off?" 

The  dining  room  was  a  large  and  ornate  apartment. 
Captain  Elisha,  when  he  first  entered  it,  seemed  about 
to  ask  another  question,  but  choked  it  off  and  remained 
silent.  Sylvester  chose  a  table  in  a  retired  corner,  and 
they  sat  down. 

88 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Now,  Captain  Warren,"  said  the  host,  "  what  will 
you  eat  ?  " 

Captain  Elisha  shook  his  head. 

"You  do  the  orderin',"  he  replied  dryly;  "I'll  just 
set  and  be  thankful,  like  the  hen  that  found  the  china 
doorknob.  Anything  that  suits  you  will  do  me,  I  guess." 

The  lawyer,  who  seemed  to  be  thoroughly  enjoying  his 
companion,  gave  his  orders,  and  the  waiter  brought  first 
a  bit  of  caviar  on  toast.  If  Sylvester  expected  this  del 
icacy  to  produce  astonished  comments,  he  was  disap 
pointed. 

"  Well,  well !  "  exclaimed  Captain  Elisha.  "  I  declare, 
you  take  me  back  a  long  ways,  Mr.  Sylvester.  Caviar ! 
Well,  well !  Why,  I  haven't  ate  this  since  I  used  to  go 
to  Cronstadt.  At  the  American  consul's  house  there  we 
had  it  often  enough.  Has  a  kind  of  homey  taste  even 
yet.  That  consul  was  a  good  feller.  He  and  I  were 
great  friends. 

"  I  met  him  a  long  spell  after  that,  when  I  was  down 
in  Mexico,"  he  went  on.  "  He'd  made  money  and  was 
down  on  a  vacation.  My  ship  was  at  Acapulco,  and  he 
and  I  used  to  go  gunnin'  together,  after  wild  geese  and 
such.  Ho!  ho!  I  remember  there  was  a  big,  pompous 
critter  of  an  Englishman  there.  Mind  you,  I'm  not 
talkin'  against  the  English.  Some  of  the  best  men  I  ever 
met  were  English,  and  I've  stood  back  to  back  with  a 
British  mate  on  a  Genoa  wharf  when  half  of  Italy  was 
hoppin'  around  makin'  proclamations  that  they  was  goin' 
to  swallow  us  alive.  And,  somehow  or  'nother,  they 
didn't.  Took  with  prophetic  indigestion,  maybe. 

"  However,  this  Englishman  at  Acapulco  was  diffrent. 
He  was  so  swelled  with  importance  that  his  back  hollered 
in  like  Cape  Cod  Bay  on  the  map.  His  front  bent  out 
to  correspond,  though,  so  I  cal'late  he  averaged  up  all 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

right.  Well,  he  heard  about  what  a  good  —  that  I  was 
pretty  lucky  when  it  come  to  shootin'  wild  geese,  and  I'm 
blessed  if  he  didn't  send  me  orders  to  get  him  one  for  a 
dinner  he  was  goin'  to  give.  Didn't  ask  —  ordered  me 
to  do  it,  you  understand.  And  him  nothin'  but  a  con 
signee,  with  no  more  control  over  me  than  the  average 
female  Sunday-school  teacher  has  over  a  class  of  boys. 
Not  so  much,  because  she's  supposed  to  have  official 
authority,  and  he  wa'n't.  And  he  didn't  invite  me  to 
the  dinner. 

"  Well,  the  next  time  my  friend,  the  ex-consul,  and  I 
went  out  gunnin',  I  told  him  of  the  Englishman's  '  orders.' 
He  was  mad.  '  What  are  you  goin'  to  do  about  it  ? '  he 
asks.  '  Don't  know  yet,'  says  I,  '  we'll  see.'  By  and 
by  we  come  in  sight  of  one  of  them  long-legged  cranes, 
big  birds  you  know,  standin'  fishin'  at  the  edge  of  some 
reeds.  I  up  with  my  gun  and  shot  it.  The  consul  chap 
looked  at  me  as  if  I  was  crazy.  *  What  in  the  world  did 
you  kill  that  fish-basket  on  stilts  for?'  he  says.  'Son/ 
says  I,  '  your  eyesight  is  bad.  That's  a  British-American 
goose.  Chop  off  about  three  feet  of  neck  and  a  couple 
of  fathom  of  hind  legs  and  pick  and  clean  what's  left, 
and  I  shouldn't  wonder  if  'twould  make  a  good  dinner 
for  a  mutual  friend  of  ours  —  good  enough,  anyhow/ 
Well,  sir !  that  ex-consul  set  plump  down  in  the  mud  and 
laughed  and  laughed.  Ho,  ho !  Oh,  dear  me !  " 

"  Did  you  send  it  to  the  Englishman  ? "  asked  Syl 
vester. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  sent  it.  And,  after  a  good  while  and  in  a 
roundabout  way,  I  heard  that  the  whole  dinner  party 
vowed  'twas  the  best  wild  goose  they  ever  ate.  So  I  ain't 
sure  just  who  the  joke  was  on.  However,  I'm  satisfied 
with  my  end.  Well,  there !  I  guess  you  must  think  I'm 
pretty  talky  on  short  acquaintance,  Mr.  Sylvester. 

90 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

You'll  have  to  excuse  me ;  that  caviar  set  me  to  thinkin' 
about  old  times." 

His  host  was  shaking  all  over.  "  Go  ahead,  Captain," 
he  cried.  "  Got  any  more  as  good  as  that  ?  " 

But  Captain  Elisha  merely  smiled  and  shook  his  head. 

"  Don't  get  me  started  on  Mexico,"  he  observed.  "  I'm 
liable  to  yarn  all  the  rest  of  the  afternoon.  Let's  see, 
we  was  goin'  to  talk  over  my  brother's  business  a  little 
mite,  wa'n't  we?" 

"  Why,  yes,  we  should.  Now,  Captain  Warren,  just 
how  much  do  you  know  about  your  late  brother's  af 
fairs?" 

"  Except  what  Mr.  Graves  told  me,  nothin'  of  im 
portance.  And,  afore  we  go  any  further,  let  me  ask  a 
question.  Do  you  know  why  'Bije  made  me  his  execu 
tor  and  guardian  and  all  the  rest  of  it?" 

"  I  do  not.  Graves  drew  his  will,  and  so,  of  course, 
we  knew  of  your  existence  and  your  appointment.  Your 
brother  forbade  our  mentioning  it,  but  we  did  not  know, 
until  after  his  death,  that  his  own  children  were  unaware 
they  had  an  uncle.  It  seems  strange,  doesn't  it  ?  " 

"  It  does  to  me ;  so  strange  that  I  can't  see  two  lengths 
ahead.  I  cal'late  Mr.  Graves  told  you  how  I  felt  about 
it?" 

"  Yes.  That  is,  he  said  you  were  very  much  sur 
prised." 

"  That's  puttin'  it  mild  enough.  And  did  he  tell  you 
that  'Bije  and  I  hadn't  seen  each  other,  or  even  written, 
in  eighteen  years  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Um-hm.     Well,   when  you   consider   that,   can   you 

wonder  I  was  set  all  aback?    And  the  more   I  think 

of  it,  the  foggier  it  gets.     Why,  Mr.  Sylvester,  it's  one 

of  them  situations  that  are  impossible,  that  you  can  prove 

7  91 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

fifty  ways  can't  happen.  And  yet,  it  has  —  it  sartinly 
has.  Now  tell  me:  Are  you,  or  your  firm,  well  ac 
quainted  with  my  brother's  affairs  ?  " 

"  Not  well,  no.  The  late  Mr.  Warren  was  a  close- 
mouthed  man,  rather  secretive,  in  fact." 

"  Humph !  that  bein'  one  of  the  p'ints  where  he  was 
different  from  his  nighest  relation,  hey  ?  " 

"  I'm  not  so  sure.     Have  you  questioned  the  children  ?  " 

"Caroline  and  Steve?  Yes,  I've  questioned  'em  more 
than  they  think  I  have,  maybe.  And  they  know  —  well, 
leavin'  out  about  the  price  of  oil  paintin's  and  the  way 
to  dress  and  that  it's  more  or  less  of  a  disgrace  to  econ 
omize  on  twenty  thousand  a  year,  their  worldly  knowl 
edge  ain't  too  extensive." 

"  Do  you  like  them  ?  " 

"  I  guess  so.  Just  now  ain't  the  fairest  time  to  judge 
'em.  You  see  they're  sufferin'  from  the  joyful  shock  of 
their  country  relation  droppin'  in,  and  — " 

He  paused  and  rubbed  his  chin.  His  lips  were  smil 
ing,  but  his  eyes  were  not.  Sylvester  noted  their  ex 
pression,  and  guessed  many  things. 

"  They  haven't  been  disagreeable,  I  hope  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  No-o.  No,  I  wouldn't  want  to  say  that.  They're 
young  and  —  and,  well,  I  ain't  the  kind  they've  been  used 
to.  Caroline's  a  nice  girl.  She  is,  sure.  All  she  needs 
is  to  grow  a  little  older  and  have  the  right  kind  of  advice 
and  —  and  friends." 

"  How  about  the  boy  ?  "  Mr.  Sylvester  had  met  young 
Warren,  and  his  eyes  twinkled  as  he  spoke. 

"  Steve  ?  Well,"  there  was  an  answering  twinkle  in 
Captain  Elisha's  eye ;  "  well,  Steve  needs  to  grow,  too ; 
though  I  wouldn't  presume  to  tell  him  so.  When  a  fel 
ler's  undertakin'  to  give  advice  to  one  of  the  seven  wise 
men,  he  has  to  be  diplomatic,  as  you  might  say." 

92 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

The  lawyer  put  back  his  head  and  laughed  uproar 
iously. 

"  Ha !  ha !  "  he  crowed.  "  That's  good !  Then,  from 
your  questioning  of  the  children,  you've  learned — ?" 

"  Not  such  an  awful  lot.  I  think  I've  learned  that  — 
hum!  that  a  good  guardian  might  be  a  handy  thing  to 
have  in  the  house.  A  reg'lar  legal  guardian,  I  mean. 
Otherwise  — " 

"Otherwise?" 

"  Otherwise  there  might  be  too  many  disinterested  vol 
unteer  substitutes  for  the  job.  Maybe  I'm  wrong,  but 
I  doubt  it." 

"  Have  you  made  up  your  mind  to  be  that  guardian  ?  " 

"  Not  yet.  I  haven't  made  up  my  mind  to  anything 
yet.  Now,  Mr.  Sylvester,  while  we're  waitin'  for  what 
comes  next  —  you've  ordered  enough  grub  to  victual  a 
ship  —  s'pose  you  just  run  over  what  your  firm  knows 
about  'Bije.  That  is,  if  I  ain't  askin'  too  much." 

"  Not  at  all.  That's  what  I'm  here  for.  You  have 
a  right  to  know.  But  I  warn  you  my  information  isn't 
worth  much." 

He  went  on,  briefly  and  with  the  conciseness  of  the  le 
gal  mind,  to  tell  of  A.  Rodgers  Warren,  his  business  and 
his  estate.  He  had  been  a  broker  with  a  seat  on  the 
Stock  Exchange. 

"That  seat  is  worth  considerable,  ain't  it?"  inter 
rupted  the  captain. 

"  Between  eighty  and  one  hundred  thousand  dollars." 

"  Yup.  Well,  it  reminds  me  of  a  picture  I  saw  once 
in  one  of  the  comic  papers.  An  old  feller  from  the  back 
woods  somewheres  —  good  deal  like  me,  he  was,  and  just 
about  as  green  —  was  pictured  standin'  along  with  his 
city  nephew  in  the  gallery  of  the  Exchange.  And  the 
nephew  says, '  Uncle,'  says  he,  '  do  you  realize  that  a  seat 

93 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

down  there's  wuth  seventy-five  thousand  dollars?' 
'  Gosh ! '  says  the  old  man,  '  no  wonder  most  of  'em  are 
standin'  up.'  Ho!  ho!  Is  that  seat  of  'Bije's  part  of 
the  five  hundred  thousand  you  figger  he's  left?" 

"  Yes,  in  a  way  it  is.  To  be  truthful,  Captain  Warren, 
we're  not  sure  as  to  the  amount  of  your  brother's  tan 
gible  assets.  Graves  made  a  hurried  examination  of  the 
stocks,  bonds,  and  memoranda,  and  estimated  the  total, 
that's  all." 

"  I  see.    Well,  heave  ahead." 

The  lawyer  went  on.  The  dead  broker's  office  had 
been  on  Broad  Street.  A  small  office,  with  but  two 
clerks.  One  of  the  clerks  was  retained,  and  the  office, 
having  been  leased  for  a  year  by  its  former  tenant,  was 
still  open  pending  the  settlement  of  the  estate.  A.  Rod- 
gers  Warren  personally  was  a  man  who  looked  older 
than  he  really  was,  a  good  liver,  and  popular  among  his 
companions. 

"  What  sort  of  fellers  were  his  companions  ?  "  asked 
Captain  Elisha. 

"  You  mean  his  friends  in  society,  or  his  companions 
down  town  in  Wall  Street  ?  " 

"  The  Wall  Street  ones.  I  guess  I  can  find  out  some 
thing  about  the  society  ones.  Anyhow,  I  can  try.  These 
Wall  Streeters  that  'Bije  chummed  with  —  a  quiet  lot, 
was  they  ?  " 

Sylvester  hesitated.  "  Why  —  why  —  not  particularly 
so,"  he  admitted.  "  Nothing  crooked  about  them,  of 
course.  You  see,  a  stock-broker's  life  is  a  nerve-racking, 
rather  exciting  one,  and — " 

"  And  'Bije  and  his  chums  were  excited,  too,  hey  ? 
All  right,  you  needn't  go  any  further.  He  was  a  good 
husband  while  his  wife  lived,  wa'n't  he?" 

'*  Yes.     Frankly,  Captain  Warren,  so  far  as  I  know 

94 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

your  brother's  personal  habits  were  good.     There  was 
nothing  against  his  character." 

"  I'm  mighty  glad  to  hear  it.  Mighty  glad.  Is  there 
anything  else  you  can  tell  me  ?  " 

"  No.  Our  next  move,  provided  you  decide  to  accept 
the  trust,  the  executorship,  and  the  rest,  is  to  get  to 
gether —  you  and  Graves,  if  he  is  well  enough;  you  and 
I  if  he  is  not  —  and  begin  a  careful  examination  of  the 
stocks,  bonds,  assets,  and  debts  of  the  estate.  This  must 
be  done  first  of  all." 

" "  Graves  hinted  there  wa'n't  any  debts,  to  amount  to 
anything." 

"  So  far  as  we  can  see,  there  are  none,  except  a  few 
trifling  bills." 

"  Yes,  yes.  Hum ! "  Captain  Elisha  put  down  his 
coffee  spoon  and  seemed  to  be  thinking.  He  shook  his 
head. 

"  You  appear  to  be  puzzled  about  something,"  observed 
the  lawyer,  who  was  watching  him  intently. 

"  I  am.  I  was  puzzled  afore  I  left  home,  and  I'm  just 
as  puzzled  now." 

"  What  puzzles  you  ?  if  I  may  ask." 

"  Everything.  And,  if  you'll  excuse  my  sayin'  so,  Mr. 
Sylvester,  I  guess  it  puzzles  you,  too." 

He  returned  his  host's  look.  The  latter  pushed  back 
his  chair,  preparatory  to  rising. 

"  It  is  all  so  perfectly  simple,  on  the  face  of  it,  Captain 
Warren,"  he  said.  "  Your  brother  realized  that  he  must 
die,  that  his  children  and  their  money  must  be  taken  care 
of ;  you  were  his  nearest  relative ;  his  trust  in  your  hon 
esty  and  judgment  caused  him  to  overlook  the  estrange 
ment  between  you.  That's  the  case,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  Yes.  That's  the  case,  on  the  face  of  it,  as  you  say, 
But  you've  forgot  to  mention  one  item." 

95 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"What's  that?" 

"  'Bije  himself.  You  knew  him  pretty  well,  I  can  see 
that.  So  did  I.  And  I  guess  that's  why  we're  both  puz 
zled." 

Captain  Elisha  folded  his  napkin  with  care  and  stood 
up.  Sylvester  rose,  also. 

"  Come  downstairs,"  he  said.  "  We  can  enjoy  our  ci 
gars  more  comfortably  there,  and  go  on  with  our  talk. 
That  is,  unless  you're  in  a  great  hurry." 

"  No,  I  ain't  in  any  special  hurry.  So  I  get  up  to  Car 
oline's  in  season  for  supper  —  er,  dinner,  I  mean  —  I 
don't  care.  But  I  don't  want  to  keep  you.  You're  a 
busy  man." 

"  This  is  business.     This  way,  Captain." 

The  big  lounging  room  of  the  club,  on  the  first  floor, 
Fifth  Avenue  side,  was  almost  empty  when  they  entered 
it.  The  lawyer  drew  two  big  chairs  near  the  open  fire, 
rang  the  bell,  and  ordered  cigars.  After  the  cigars  were 
lighted  and  the  fragrant  clouds  of  tobacco  smoke  were 
rising,  he  reopened  the  conversation.  And  now,  in  an 
easy,  diplomatic  way,  he  took  his  turn  at  questioning. 

It  was  pretty  thorough  pumping,  managed  with  the  skill 
of  an  experienced  cross-examiner.  Captain  Elisha,  with 
out  realizing  that  he  was  doing  so,  told  of  his  boyhood, 
his  life  at  sea,  his  home  at  South  Denboro,  his  position 
in  the  village,  his  work  as  selectman,  as  member  of  the 
school  committee,  and  as  director  in  the  bank.  The  tone 
of  the  questioner  expressed  nothing  —  he  was  too  well 
trained  for  that  —  but  every  item  of  information  was  tab 
ulated  and  appraised. 

The  tall  mahogany-cased  clock  struck  three,  then  four. 
The  lawyer  finished  his  cigar  and  lit  another.  He  offered 
a  fresh  one  to  his  guest,  but  the  offer  was  declined. 

"  No,  thank  you,"  observed  the  captain.  "  I've  been 

96 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

yarnin'  away  so  fast  that  my  breath's  been  too  busy  to 
keep  this  one  goin'.  There's  consider'ble  left  yet.  This 
is  a  better  smoke  than  I'm  used  to  gettin'  at  the  store 
down  home.  I  tell  Ryder  —  he's  our  storekeeper  and 
postmaster  —  that  he  must  buy  his  cigars  on  the  reel  and 
cut  'em  off  with  the  scissors.  When  the  gang  of  us  all 
got  a-goin'  mail  times,  it  smells  like  a  rope-walk  burnin' 
down.  Ho!  ho!  It  does,  for  a  fact.  Yet  I  kind  of 
enjoy  one  of  his  five-centers,  after  all.  You  can  get  used 
to  most  anything.  Maybe  it's  the  home  flavor  or  the 
society.  P'raps  they'd  taste  better  still  if  they  was  made 
of  seaweed.  I'll  trouble  you  for  a  match,  Mr.  Sylvester. 
Two  of  'em,  if  you  don't  mind." 

He  whittled  one  match  to  a  point  with  his  pocket  knife, 
impaled  the  cigar  stump  upon  it,  and  relit  with  the  other. 

Meanwhile  the  room  had  been  filling  up.  Around  each 
of  the  big  windows  overlooking  the  Avenue  were  gath 
ered  groups  of  men,  young  and  old,  smoking,  chatting, 
and  gazing  idly  out.  Captain  Elisha  regarded  them  curi 
ously. 

"  This  ain't  a  holiday,  is  it?  "  he  asked,  after  a  while. 

"No.     Why?" 

"  I  was  just  wonderin'  if  all  those  fellers  hadn't  any 
work  to  do,  that's  all." 

"Who?  That  crowd?"  The  lawyer  laughed.  "Oh, 
they're  doing  their  regular  stunt.  You'll  find  most  of 
them  here  every  afternoon  about  this  time." 

"  You  don't  say.     Pay  'em  wages  for  it,  do  you  ?  " 

"  Not  that  I  know  of.  Some  of  them  are  brokers,  who 
come  up  after  the  Exchange  closes.  Others  are  business 
men,  active  or  retired.  Some  don't  have  any  business  — 
except  what  they're  doing  now." 

"  I  want  to  know  !  Humph !  They  remind  me  of  the 
gang  in  the  billiard  room  back  home.  The  billiard-room 

97 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

crs  —  the  chronic  ones  —  don't  have  any  business,  either, 
except  to  keep  the  dust  from  collectin'  on  the  chairs. 
That  and  talkin'  about  hard  times.  These  chaps  don't 
seem  to  be  sufferin'  from  hard  times,  much." 

"  No.  Most  of  the  younger  set  have  rich  fathers  or 
have  inherited  money." 

"  I  see.  They  let  the  old  man  do  the  worryin'. 
That's  philosophy,  anyhow.  What  are  they  so  interested 
in  outside  ?  Parade  goin'  by  ?  " 

"  No.  I  imagine  an  unusually  pretty  girl  passed  just 
then." 

"  Is  that  so  ?  Well,  well !  Say,  Mr.  Sylvester,  the 
longer  I  stay  in  New  York  the  more  I  see  that  the  main 
difference  between  it  and  South  Denboro  is  size.  The 
billiard-room  gang  acts  just  the  same  way  when  the 
downstairs  school  teacher  goes  past.  Hello ! " 

"What  is  it?" 

"  That  young  chap  by  the  mizzen  window  looks  sort 
of  familiar  to  me.  The  one  that  stood  up  to  shake  a 
day-day  to  whoever  was  passin'.  Hum!  He's  made  a 
hit,  ain't  he?  I  expect  some  unprotected  female's  heart 
broke  at  that  signal.  I  cal'late  I  know  him." 

"  Who  ?  Which  one  ?  Oh,  that's  young  Corcoran 
Dunn.  He  is  a  lady-killer,  in  his  own  estimation.  How 
d'ye  do,  Dunn." 

The  young  man  turning  grinning  from  the  window, 
caught  a  glimpse  of  the  lawyer  as  the  latter  rose  to 
identify  him.  He  strolled  over  to  the  fire. 

"  Hello,  Sylvester,"  he  hailed,  carelessly.  "  That  was 
a  peach.  You  should  have  seen  her.  What  ?  Why,  it's 
the  Admiral ! " 

"  How  d'ye  do,  Mr.  Dunn,"  said  Captain  Elisha. 

"  Have  you  two  met  before  ? "  asked  Sylvester  in 
astonishment. 

98 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Yes.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  assisting  in  the  welcom 
ing  salute  when  our  seafarin'  friend  come  aboard.  How 
was  that,  Captain?  Some  nautical  class  to  that  re 
mark?" 

"  Yup.  You  done  fust  rate,  considerin'  how  recent 
you  shipped." 

"  Thanks.  Overwhelmed,  I'm  sure."  Then,  with  a 
look  of  languid  amusement  at  the  pair,  "  What  is  this  — 
a  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Naval  Affairs?  Have  you 
bought  a  yacht,  Sylvester  ?  " 

"  No."    The  lawyer's  tone  was  sharp. 

"  Humph !  Well,  take  my  advice  and  don't.  Yachts 
are  all  right,  to  have  a  good  time  on,  but  they  cost  like 
the  devil  to  keep  up.  An  auto  is  bad  enough.  By  the 
way,  Sylvester,  did  you  hear  about  my  running  over  the 
Irishman  this  morning  ?  " 

"  Running  over  ? "  repeated  the  captain,  aghast. 
u  You  didn't  run  over  nobody,  I  hope." 

"  Well,  I  came  devilish  near  it.  Ha !  ha !  You  see, 
the  old  tarrier  was  crossing  Saint  Nicholas  Avenue,  with 
a  big  market  basket  full  of  provisions  —  the  family  din 
ner,  I  suppose.  By  Jove,  the  household  appetites  must 
be  good  ones.  It  was  slippery  as  the  mischief,  I  was 
running  the  car,  and  I  tried  to  go  between  the  fellow 
and  the  curb.  It  would  have  been  a  decent  bit  of  steer 
ing  if  I'd  made  it.  But  —  ha !  ha !  —  by  Jove,  you  know, 
I  didn't.  I  skidded.  The  man  himself  managed  to  hop 
out  of  the  way,  but  his  foot  slipped,  and  down  he  went. 
Most  ridiculous  thing  you  ever  saw.  And  the  street! 
'Pon  my  word  it  was  paved  with  eatables." 

Sylvester,  plainly  annoyed,  did  not  reply.  But  Cap 
tain  Elisha's  concern  was  evident. 

"  The  poor  critter !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  What  did  you 
do?" 

99 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  The  last  I  saw  of  him  he  was  sitting  in  the  mud, 
looking  at  the  upset.  I  didn't  linger.  Peters  took  the 
wheel,  and  we  beat  it.  Lucky  the  cop  didn't  spot  the 
license  number.  Might  have  cost  me  fifty.  They've  had 
me  up  for  speeding  twice  before.  What  are  you  and  the 
Admiral  discussing,  Sylvester  ?  " 

"  We  were  discussing  a  business  matter,"  answered 
the  lawyer,  with  significant  emphasis. 

"  Business  ?  Why,  sure !  I  forgot  that  you  were 
Graves's  partner.  Settling  the  family  affairs,  hey? 
Well,  I  won't  butt  in.  Ta,  ta !  See  you  later,  Captain. 
You  must  go  for  a  spin  in  that  car  of  mine.  I'll  call  for 
you  some  day.  I'll  show  you  something  they  don't  do  on 
Cape  Cod.  Regards  to  Caro  and  Steve." 

He  moved  off,  feeling  that  his  invitation  would  have 
met  with  his  mother's  approval.  She  had  announced 
that  the  country  uncle  was  to  be  "  cultivated." 

Captain  Elisha's  cigar  had  gone  out.  He  did  not  at 
tempt  to  relight  it. 

"Whew!"  he  whistled.  "Well,  when  I  go  for  a 
4  spin/  as  he  calls  it,  with  him,  I  cal'late  my  head'll  be 
spinnin'  so  I  won't  be  responsible  for  my  actions. 
Whew ! " 

Sylvester  looked  curiously  at  him. 

"  So  you  met  him  before?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes.  He  was  at  the  rooms  when  I  fust  landed.  Or 
his  mother  was  there  then.  He  came  a  little  later  with 
Caroline  and  Stephen." 

"  I  see." 

"  Yes.     Know  him  and  his  ma  pretty  well,  do  you  ?  " 

"  Slightly.  I've  met  them,  at  mutual  acquaintances' 
homes  and  about  town." 

"  Pretty  well  fixed,  I  s'pose,  ain't  they?" 

"  I  presume  so.     I  don't  know." 

100 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Urn.  He's  a  sociable  young  feller,  ain't  he  ?  Don't 
stand  on  any  ceremony,  hey?  Caro  and  Steve  think  a 
lot  of  him  and  his  mother." 

"  Yes.  Graves  has  told  me  the  Dunns  were  very  in 
timate  with  the  Warrens.  In  fact,  just  before  your 
brother's  death,  I  remember  hearing  a  rumor  that  the  two 
families  might  be  even  closer  connected." 

"  You  mean  —  er  —  Caroline  and  —  er  —  him  ?  " 

"  There  was  such  a  rumor.  Probably  nothing  in  it. 
There  is  no  engagement,  I  am  very  sure." 

"  Yes,  yes,  I  see.  Well,  Mr.  Sylvester,  I  must  be  trot- 
tin'  on.  I'll  think  the  whole  business  over  for  another 
day  or  so  and  then  give  you  my  decision,  one  way  or  the 
other." 

"  You  can't  give  it  now  ?  " 

"  No-o.     I  guess  I'd  better  not.     However,  I  think  — " 

"  Yes." 

"  Well,  I  think  I  may  take  the  job.  Take  it  on  trial, 
anyhow." 

"  Good !     I'm  glad  of  it." 

"You  are?" 

"  I  certainly  am.  And  I'm  very  glad  indeed  to  have 
made  your  acquaintance,  Captain  Warren.  Good  after 
noon.  I  shall  hope  to  see  you  again  soon." 

Captain  Elisha  left  the  Central  Club  in  a  surprised 
frame  of  mind.  What  surprised  him  was  that  a  man  of 
such  thorough  city  training  and  habits  as  the  senior  part 
ner  of  the  law  firm  should  express  pleasure  at  the  idea 
of  his  accepting  the  charge  of  A.  Rodgers  Warren's  heirs 
and  estate.  Mr.  Graves  had  shown  no  such  feeling. 

If  he  had  heard  Sylvester's  report  to  Kuhn,  at  the 
office  next  day,  he  might  have  been  even  more  surprised 
and  pleased. 

"  He's  a  brick,   Kuhn,"   declared  the   senior  partner 

101 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  A  countryman,  of  course,  but  a  keen,  able,  honest  man, 
and,  I  think,  a  mighty  good  judge  of  character.  If  I 
was  as  sure  of  his  ability  to  judge  investments  and 
financial  affairs,  I  should  be  certain  the  Warren  children 
couldn't  be  in  better  hands.  And  no  doubt  we  can  help 
him  when  it  comes  to  that.  He'll  probably  handle  the 
girl  and  boy  in  his  own  way,  and  his  outside  greenness 
may  jar  them  a  little.  But  it'll  do  them  good  to  be 
jarred  at  their  age.  He's  all  right,  and  I  hope  he  ac 
cepts  the  whole  trust." 

"  Well,"  exclaimed  Mr.  Kuhn ;  "  you  surprise  me. 
Graves  seemed  to  be  — " 

"  Graves  suffers  from  the  absolute  lack  of  a  sense  of 
humor.  His  path  through  life  is  about  three  feet  wide 
and  bordered  with  rock-ribbed  conventionality.  If  a  man 
has  a  joke  in  his  system,  Graves  doesn't  understand  it 
and  is  suspicious.  I  tell,  you,  Kuhn,  there's  more  honest 
common  sense  and  ability  in  the  right  hand  of  this 
Down-East  salt  than  there  ever  was  in  Rodgers  War 
ren's  whole  body." 


CHAPTER  VII 

DURING  the  next  day  Caroline  Warren  and  her 
brother  saw  little  of  their  uncle.  Not  that 
they  complained  of  this  or  sought  his  society. 
The  policy  of  avoidance  and  what  Stephen  called  "  freez 
ing  out "  had  begun,  and  the  young  people  kept  to  them 
selves  as  much  as  possible.  At  breakfast  Caroline  was 
coldly  polite,  and  her  brother  cold,  although  his  polite 
ness  was  not  overdone.  However,  Captain  Elisha  did 
not  seem  to  notice.  He  was  preoccupied,  said  but  little, 
and  spent  the  forenoon  in  writing  a  second  letter  to  Miss 
Abigail.  In  it  he  told  of  his  experience  on  board  the 
Empress  of  the  Ocean  and  of  the  luncheon  at  the  Cen 
tral  Club.  But  he  said  nothing  concerning  his  nephew 
and  niece  further  than  the  statement  that  he  was  still 
getting  acquainted,  and  that  Caroline  was  a  real  nice  look 
ing  girl. 

"  I  suppose  you  wonder  what  I've  decided  about 
taking  the  guardianship,"  he  added,  just  at  the  close. 
"  Well,  Abbie,  I'm  about  in  the  position  of  Luther 
Sylvester  when  he  fell  off  the  dock  at  Orham.  The  tide 
was  out,  and  he  went  into  the  soft  mud,  all  under. 
When  the  folks  who  saw  him  tumble  got  to  the  edge  and 
looked  over,  they  saw  a  round,  black  thing  sticking  out 
of  the  mire,  and,  judging  'twas  Lute's  head,  they  asked 
him  how  he  felt.  '  I  don't  know  yet,'  sputters  Lute, 
'  whether  I'm  drowned  or  smothered,  but  I'm  some- 
wheres  betwixt  and  between.'  That's  me,  Abbie,  on  that 
guardian  business.  I'm  still  betwixt  and  between.  But 

103 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

before  this  day's  over  I'll  be  drowned  or  smothered,  and 
I'll  let  you  know  which  next  time  I  write." 

After  lunch  he  took  a  stroll  in  the  Park  and  passed 
up  and  down  the  paths,  thinking,  thinking.  Returning, 
he  found  that  Caroline  and  Stephen  had  gone  for  an 
auto  ride  with  the  Dunns  and  would  not  be  home  foi 
dinner.  So  he  ate  that  meal  in  solitary  state,  waited 
upon  by  Edwards. 

That  evening,  as  he  sat  smoking  in  the  library,  the 
butler  appeared  to  announce  a  caller. 

"  Someone  to  see  you,  sir,"  said  Edwards.  "  Here's 
his  card,  sir." 

"Eh?  Someone  to  see  me?  Guess  you've  made  a 
mistake,  haven't  you,  Commodore?  I  don't  know  any 
body  who'd  be  likely  to  come  visitin'  me  here  in  New 
York.  Why,  yes !  Well,  I  declare !  Tell  him  to  walk 
right  in.  Mr.  Pearson,  I'm  glad  to  see  you.  This  is  real 
neighborly." 

The  caller  was  young  Pearson,  the  captain's  acquaint 
ance  of  the  previous  forenoon.  They  shook  hands 
heartily. 

"  Perhaps  you  didn't  think  I  should  accept  that  invi 
tation  of  yours,  Captain  Warren,"  observed  Pearson.  "  I 
told  you  I  meant  it  when  I  said  yes.  And  calling  within 
thirty-six  hours  is  pretty  good  proof,  isn't  it?  " 

"  Suits  me  fust-rate.  I'm  mighty  glad  you  came.  Set 
right  down.  Lonesome  at  the  boardin'  house,  was  it?" 

Pearson  made  a  grimace.  "  Lonesome !  "  he  repeated. 
"  Ugh !  Let's  talk  of  something  else.  Were  you  in  time 
for  your  appointment  yesterday  noon  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes ;  I  was  and  I  wasn't.  Say,  won't  you  have 
a  cigar?  That's  right.  And  I  s'pose,  bein'  as  this  is 
New  York,  I'd  ought  to  ask  you  to  take  somethin'  to  lay 
the  dust,  hey?  I  ain't  made  any  inquiries  myself,  but  I 

104 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

shouldn't  wonder  if  the  Commodore  —  the  feller  that  let 
you  in  —  could  find  somethin'  in  the  spare  room  closet 
or  somewheres,  if  I  ask  him." 

The  young  man  laughed.  "  If  you  mean  a  drink,"  he 
said,  "  I  don't  care  for  it,  thank  you." 

"  What  ?     You  ain't  a  teetotaler,  are  you  ?  "         ~"\ 

"  No,  not  exactly.     But  — " 

"  But  you  can  get  along  without  it,  hey  ?  So  can  I ; 
generally  do,  fur's  that  goes.  But  I'm  from  South  Den- 
boro.  I  thought  here  in  New  York — " 

"  Oh,  there  are  many  people,  even  here  in  New  York, 
who  are  not  convinced  that  alcohol  is  a  food." 

"  You  don't  tell  me !  Well,  I'm  livin'  and  learnin' 
every  day.  Judgin'  from  stories  and  the  yarns  in  the 
Boston  newspapers,  folks  up  our  way  have  the  idea  that 
this  town  is  a  sort  of  annex  to  the  bad  place.  All  right, 
then  we  won't  trouble  the  Commodore.  I  notice  you're 
lookin'  over  my  quarters.  What  do  you  think  of  'em  ?  " 

Pearson  had,  in  spite  of  himself,  been  glancing  about 
the  room.  Its  luxury  and  the  evident  signs  of  taste  and 
wealth  surprised  him  greatly. 

"  Astonish  you  to  find  me  livin'  in  a  place  like  this, 
hey?" 

"  Why,  why,  yes,  it  does,  somewhat.  I  didn't  realize 
you  were  such  an  aristocrat,  Captain  Warren.  If  I  had, 
I  might  have  been  a  little  more  careful  of  my  dress  in 
making  my  first  call." 

"  Dress  ?  Oh,  you  mean  you'd  have  put  on  your  Sun 
day  clothes.  Well,  I'm  glad  you  didn't.  You  see,  / 
haven't  got  on  my  regimentals,  and  if  you'd  been  on  dress 
parade  I  might  have  felt  bashful.  Ho,  ho!  I  don't 
wonder  you  are  surprised.  This  is  a  pretty  swell  neigh 
borhood,  ain't  it?" 

"  Yes,  it  is." 

105 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  These  —  er  —  apartments,  now.  'Bout  as  good  as. 
any  in  town,  are  they  ?  " 

"  Pretty  nearly.  There  are  few  better  —  much  bet 
ter." 

"  I  thought  so.  You  wouldn't  call  livin'  in  'em  econo- 
mizin'  to  any  consider'ble  extent,  would  you  ?  " 

"  No,"  with  a  laugh ;  "  no,  /  shouldn't,  but  my  ideas 
of  economy  are  —  well,  different.  They  have  to  be. 
Are  you  ecomomizing,  Captain  ?  " 

Captain  Elisha  laughed  and  rubbed  his  knee. 

"  No,"  he  chuckled,  "  /  ain't,  but  my  nephew  and 
niece  are.  These  are  their  rooms." 

"Oh,  you're  visiting?" 

"  No,  I  don't  know's  you'd  call  it  visitin'.  I  don't 
know  what  you  would  call  it.  I'm  here,  that's  about  all 
you  can  say." 

He  paused  and  remained  silent.  His  friend  was  silent, 
also,  not  knowing  exactly  what  remark  to  make. 

"  How's  the  novel  comin'  on  ? "  asked  the  captain,  a 
minute  later. 

"  Oh,  slowly.  I'm  not  at  all  sure  it  will  ever  be  fin 
ished.  I  get  discouraged  sometimes." 

"  No  use  in  doin'  that.  What  sort  of  a  yarn  is  it  goin' 
to  be  ?  Give  me  a  gen'ral  idea  of  the  course  you're  tryin' 
to  steer.  That  is,  if  it  ain't  a  secret." 

"  It  isn't  But  there's  mighty  little  worth  telling. 
When  I  began  I  thought  I  had  a  good  scheme,  but  it 
seems  pretty  weak  and  dish-watery  now." 

"  Most  things  do  while  their  bein'  done,  if  you  really 
care  about  doin'  'em  well.  Heave  ahead!  You  said 
'twas  a  sea  yarn,  and  I'm  a  sort  of  specialist  when  it 
comes  to  salt  water.  Maybe  I  might  prescribe  just  the 
right  tonic,  though  'tain't  very  likely." 

Pearson  began  to  outline  the  plot  of  his  novel,  speak- 

106 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

ing  slowly  at  first,  but  becoming  more  interested  as  he 
continued.  Captain  Elisha  listened  meditatively,  puffing 
solemnly  at  his  cigar,  and  interrupting  but  seldom. 

"  I  think  that's  a  pretty  good  idea,"  he  observed,  at 
length.  "  Yes,  sir,  that  sounds  promising  to  me.  This 
cap'n  of  yours  now,  he's  a  good  feller.  Don't  get  him 
too  good,  though ;  that  wouldn't  be  natural.  And  don't 
get  him  too  bad,  neither.  I  know  it's  the  fashion, 
judgin'  by  the  sea  yarns  I've  read  lately,  to  have  a 
Yankee  skipper  sort  of  a  cross  between  a  prize  fighter 
and  a  murderer.  Fust  day  out  of  port  he  begins  by 
pickin'  out  the  most  sickly  fo'mast  hand  aboard,  mashes 
him  up,  and  then  takes  the  next  invalid.  I  got  a  book 
about  that  kind  of  a  skipper  out  of  our  library  down 
home  a  spell  ago,  and  the  librarian  said  'twas  awful 
popular.  A  strong  story,  she  said,  and  true  to  life. 
Well,  'twas  strong  —  you  could  pretty  nigh  smell  it  — 
but  as  for  bein'  true  to  life,  I  had  my  doubts.  I've  been 
to  sea,  command  of  a  vessel,  for  a  good  many  years,  and 
sometimes  I'd  go  weeks,  whole  weeks,  without  jumpin' 
up  and  down  on  a  single  sailor.  Fact!  Got  my  exer 
cise  other  ways,  I  presume  likely. 

"  I  tell  you,"  he  went  on,  "  the  main  trouble  with  that 
tale  of  yours,  as  I  see  it,  is  that  you're  talkin'  about  things 
you  ain't  ever  seen.     Now  there's  plenty  you  have  seen, 
I  wouldn't  wonder.     Let's  see,  you  was  born  in  Belfast, 
you  said.     Live  there  long,  did  you  ?  " 
"  Yes,  until  I  went  away  to  school." 
"  Your  father,  he  went  to  sea,  did  he  ?  " 
"  Yes.     But  his  ship  was  lost,  with  all  hands,  when  I 
was  a  baby." 

"  But  your  Uncle  Jim  wa'n't  lost.  You  remember 
him  well;  you  said  so.  Tell  me  something  you  remem 
ber." 

8  107 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Before  the  young  man  was  aware  of  it,  he  was  telling 
of  his  Uncle  Jim,  of  the  latter's  return  from  voyages, 
of  his  own  home  life,  of  his  mother,  and  of  the  village 
where  he  spent  his  boyhood.  Then,  led  on  by  the  cap 
tain's  questioning,  he  continued  with  his  years  at  college, 
his  experiences  as  reporter  and  city  editor.  Without 
being  conscious  that  he  was  doing  so,  he  gave  his  host  a 
pretty  full  sketch  of  himself,  his  story,  and  his  ambi 
tions. 

"  Mr.  Pearson,"  said  Captain  Elisha,  earnestly,  "  don't 
you  worry  about  that  yarn  of  yours.  If  you'll  take  the 
advice  of  an  old  feller  who  knows  absolutely  nothin' 
about  such  things,  keep  on  rememberin'  about  your  Uncle 
Jim.  He  was  a  man,  every  inch  of  him,  and  a  seaman, 
too.  Put  lots  of  him  into  this  hero  of  yours,  and  you 
won't  go  fur  wrong.  And  when  it  comes  to  handlin'  a 
ship,  why  —  well,  if  you  want  to  come  to  me,  I'll  try  and 
help  you  out  best  I  can." 

Pearson  was  delighted. 

"  You  will?  "  he  cried.  "  Splendid !  It's  mighty  good 
of  you.  May  I  spring  some  of  my  stuff  on  you  as  I 
write  it  ?  " 

"  Sartin  you  may.  Any  time,  I'll  be  tickled  to  death. 
I'll  be  tickled  to  have  you  call,  too ;  that  is,  if  callin'  on 
an  old  salt  like  me  won't  be  too  tirin'." 

The  answer  was  emphatic  and  reassuring. 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Captain  Elisha.  "  I'm  much 
obliged.  Come  often,  do.  I  —  well,  the  fact  is,  I'm 
likely  to  get  sort  of  lonesome  myself,  I'm  afraid.  Yes, 
I  shouldn't  wonder  if  I  did." 

He  sighed,  tossed  away  the  stump  of  his  cigar,  and 
added, 

"  Now,  I  want  to  ask  you  somethin'.  You  newspaper 
fellers  are  supposed  to  know  about  all  there  is  to  know 

108 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

of  everything  tinder  the  sun.  Do  you  know  much  about 
the  Stock  Exchange  ?  " 

Pearson  smiled. 

"  All  I  can  afford  to  know,"  he  said. 

"  Humph !  That's  a  pretty  good  answer.  Knowledge 
is  power,  they  say,  but  —  but  I  cal'late  knowledge  of  the 
Stock  Exchange  is  poverty,  with  a  good  many  folks." 

"  I  think  you're  right,  Captain.  It's  none  of  my  busi 
ness,  but  —  were  you  planning  to  tackle  Wall  Street?  " 

Captain  Elisha  glanced,  under  his  brows,  at  his  new 
friend,  and  his  eyes  twinkled. 

"  Didn't  know  but  I  might,"  he  replied,  solemnly. 
"  Ain't  got  any  —  er  —  tips,  any  sure  things  you  want 
to  put  me  on  to,  have  you  ?  " 

"  I  have  not.  My  experience  of  Wall  Street  '  sure 
things '  leads  me  to  believe  that  they're  sure  —  but  only 
for  the  other  fellow." 

"  Hum !  I  know  a  chap  down  home  that  made  money 
in  stocks.  He  made  it  so  easy  that,  as  the  boys  say, 
'twas  almost  a  shame  to  take  the  money.  And  'twas  the 
makin'  of  him,  too." 

Pearson  was  embarrassed  and  troubled.  If  this  big- 
hearted,  simple-minded  countryman  had  come  to  New 
York  to  buck  the  stock  market,  it  was  time  to  sound  a 
warning.  But  had  he,  on  such  short  acquaintance,  the 
right  to  warn  ?  The  captain  was  shrewd  in  his  own  way. 
Might  not  the  warning  seem  presumptuous? 

"  So  —  this  —  this  friend  of  yours  was  a  successful 
speculator,  was  he  ?  "  he  asked.  "  He  was  lucky." 

"  Think  so  ?  Well,  maybe.  His  name  was  Elkanah 
Chase,  and  his  dad  was  old  man  'Rastus  Chase,  who 
made  consider'ble  in  cranberries  and  one  thing  or  'nother. 
The  old  man  brought  Elkanah  up  to  be  what  he  called  a 
gentleman.  Ho!  ho!  Hi  hum!  I  ain't  sure  what 

109 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

'Rastus's  idea  of  a  gentleman  was,  but  if  he  cal'lated 
to  have  his  son  a  tramp  in  go-to-meetin'  clothes,  he 
got  his  wish.  When  the  old  man  died,  he  willed  the 
boy  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  Well,  fifteen  thousand 
dollars  is  a  fortune  to  some  folks  —  if  they  ain't 
economizin'  in  New  York  —  but  to  Elkanah  'twas  just 
about  enough  to  make  him  realize  his  poverty.  So,  to 
make  it  bigger,  he  got  one  of  them  '  tips  '  from  a  college 
friend  down  here  in  Wall  Street,  and  put  the  heft  of 
ten  thousand  into  it.  And,  I  swan,  if  it  didn't  double 
his  money !  " 

Captain  Elisha's  visitor  shook  his  head.  He  did  not 
even  smile. 

"  He  was  extremely  fortunate,"  he  said.  "  I  give  you 
my  word,  Captain  Warren,  that  the  majority  of  first  spec 
ulators  don't  turn  out  that  way.  I  hope  he  was  wise 
enough  to  keep  his  profits." 

The  captain  rubbed  his  chin. 

"  Jim  — "  he  began.  "  Excuse  me,  I  should  have  said 
Mr.  Pearson,  but  I've  got  sort  of  in  the  habit  of  callin' 
folks  by  their  first  names.  Livin'  where  you  know  every 
body  so  well  gets  you  into  those  habits." 

"  Jim  suits  me.     I  hope  you'll  cultivate  the  habit." 

"  Do  you?  Well,  I  will.  Now,  Jim,  referrin'  to  what 
I  was  goin'  to  say,  you,  bein'  a  newspaper  man,  ought  to 
know  everything,  but  it's  pretty  plain  you  don't  know 
Elkanah  Chase.  Keep  his  profits!  Why,  when  a  feller 
is  all  but  convinced  that  he  knows  it  all,  one  little  bit  of 
evidence  like  that  speculation  settles  it  for  him  conclu 
sive.  Elkanah,  realizin'  that  Wall  Street  was  his  apple 
pie,  opened  his  mouth  to  swaller  it  at  one  gulp.  He  put 
his  profits  and  every  other  cent  he  had  into  another  sure 
thing  tip." 

"  And  won  again  ?  " 

1 10 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  No.  He  lost  all  that  and  some  more  that  he  bor 
rowed." 

"  But  I  thought  you  said  it  was  the  making  of 
him!" 

"  It  was.  He  had  to  take  a  job  over  at  the  overalls 
factory  in  Ostable.  As  a  fifteen  thousand  dollar  gentle 
man,  he  was  pretty  average  of  a  mess,  but  they  tell  me 
he  makes  middlin'  good  overalls.  Elkanah  convinced  me 
that  Wall  Street  has  its  good  points." 

He  chuckled.     Pearson,  relieved,  laughed  in  sympathy. 

"  Has  he  paid  back  the  money  he  borrowed  ?  "  he  in 
quired. 

"  No-o !  I  guess  the  creditors'll  have  to  take  it  out  in 
overalls.  However,  it's  a  satisfaction  to  some  of  'err 
to  watch  Chase  really  work.  I  know  that  gives  me  my 
money's  worth." 

"  Oh,  ho !  You  are  one  of  the  creditors !  Captain 
Warren,  I'm  surprised.  I  sized  you  up  as  a  shrewder 
judge  of  investments." 

Captain  Elisha  colored.  "  I  judged  that  one  correct," 
he  answered.  "  If  I  hadn't  thought  'twould  have  turned 
out  that  way  I  never  would  have  plunged.  You  see,  old 
man  Chase  was  a  friend  of  mine,  and  —  However,"  he 
added,  hastily  changing  the  subject,  "  we've  strayed  some 
off  the  course.  When  I  mentioned  the  Stock  Exchange 
I  did  it  because  my  brother  was  a  member  of  it,  and  I 
cal'late  you  might  have  known  him." 

Pearson  was  astonished.  "  Your  brother  was  a  mem 
ber  of  the  Exchange  ?  "  he  repeated. 

"  Um-hm.  Never  would  have  guessed  it,  would 
you?  I  s'pose  you  cal'late  all  the  stock  I  knew  about 
was  on  the  hoof.  Well,  I  have  been  acquainted  with 
other  breeds  in  my  time.  My  brother's  name  was  Abijah 
Warren  —  A.  Rodgers  Warren,  he  called  himself." 

in 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

The  effect  of  this  announcement  was  instantaneous  and 
electric.  The  young  man  sat  back  in  his  chair. 

"  A.  Rodgers  Warren  was  your  brother  ?  "  he  cried. 

"  Um-hm.  Seems  to  stagger  you  some.  Contrast 
between  us  as  big  as  all  that  comes  to  ?  " 

"But  —  but,  Captain  Warren  —  Your  brother  —  Tell 
me,  is  Miss  Caroline  Warren  your  niece  ?  " 

"  She  is.  And  Steve  is  my  nephew.  'Tain't  possible 
you're  acquainted  with  them  ?  " 

Pearson  rose  to  his  feet.  "  Is  —  They  used  to  live  on 
the  Avenue,"  he  said.  "  But  you  said  you  were  visit 
ing.  Captain  Warren,  is  this  your  niece's  apartment  ?  " 

"  Yes,  hers  and  Steve's.  Why,  what's  the  matter  ? 
Ain't  goin',  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  think  perhaps  I  had  better.     It  is  getting  late." 

"  Late !  It's  only  the  shank  of  the  evenin'.  Jim,  I 
ain't  so  blind  that  I  can't  see  through  an  open  window. 
It  ain't  the  lateness  that  makes  you  want  to  leave  so  sud 
den.  Is  there  some  trouble  between  you  and  Caroline? 
Course,  it's  none  of  my  business,  and  you  needn't  tell 
me  unless  you  want  to." 

The  answer  was  prompt  enough. 

"  No,"  replied  Pearson.  "  No.  I  assure  you  there 
is  nothing  of  that  kind.  I  —  I  met  Miss  Warren.  In 
fact,  at  one  time  we  were  well  acquainted.  I  have 
the  very  highest  opinion  of  her.  But  I  think  it  is  best 
to—" 

"  Just  a  minute  now.  No  trouble  with  Steve  ?  He's 
a  boy  and  at  an  age  when  he's  pretty  well  satisfied  with 
himself  and  you  have  to  make  allowance." 

"'  No.  Steve  and  I  were  quite  friendly.  I'm  sorry 
to  cut  my  visit  short,  but  it  is  late  and  I  must  go." 

He  was  moving  toward  the  door.  Captain  Elisha 
looked  at  him  intently. 

112 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Well,  if  you  must,"  he  said.  "  But  I  hope  you'll 
come  again  soon.  Will  you  ?  " 

"  I  hope  I  may.  I  give  you  my  word,  Captain,  that  I 
appreciate  your  invitation,  and  I  do  want  to  know  you 
better." 

"  Same  here.  I  don't  often  take  sudden  fancies,  Jim, 
but  I  knew  your  uncle,  and  I'd  bet  consider'ble  on  any 
member  of  his  family.  And  I  waj  kind  of  interested  in 
that  novel  of  yours.  You  haven't  said  you'd  come  again. 
Will  you?" 

Pearson  was  much  embarrassed. 

"  I  should  like  to  come,  immensely,"  he  said,  with  an 
earnestness  unmistakable ;  "  but  —  but,  to  be  honest, 
Captain  Warren,  there  is  a  reason,  one  which  I  may  tell 
you  sometime,  but  can't  now  —  neither  Miss  Warren  nor 
her  brother  have  any  part  in  it  —  which  makes  me  re 
luctant  to  visit  you  here.  Won't  you  come  and  see  me 
at  the  boarding  house?  Here's  the  address.  Will  you 
come  ?  " 

"Sartin!  I  figured  on  doin'  it,  if  you  gave  me  the 
chance." 

"  Thank  you,  you'll  be  welcome.  Of  course  it  is  only 
a.  boarding  house,  and  not  a  very  good  one.  My  own 
room  is  —  well,  different  from  this." 

"  Yup.  Maybe  that's  why  I  expect  to  feel  at  home  in 
it.  Good  night,  Jim.  Thank  you  for  callin'.  Shall  I 
ring  for  the  Commodore  to  pilot  you  out?  " 

"  No,  I  can  find  my  way.     I  —  Someone  is  coming." 

From  the  hall  came  the  clang  of  the  elevator  door  and 
the  sound  of  voices.  Before  the  captain  or  his  friend 
could  move,  Caroline,  Stephen,  Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn,  and 
Malcolm  entered.  Caroline  was  the  first  to  reach  the 
library.  Her  entrance  brought  her  face  to  face  with 
Pearson. 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,"  she  began.  "  I  did  not  know 
there  was  anyone  here." 

"  It's  only  a  friend  of  mine,  Caroline,"  explained  her 
uncle,  quickly.  "  Just  callin'  on  me,  he  was." 

"  Good  evening,  Miss  Warren,"  said  Pearson,  quietly. 

The  girl  looked  at  him  for  an  instant.  Then  her  ex 
pression  changed,  and,  with  a  smile,  she  extended  her 
hand. 

"  Why,  Mr.  Pearson !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  J'm  very 
glad  to  see  you.  You  must  excuse  me  for  not  recog 
nizing  you  at  once.  Steve,  you  remember  Mr.  Pearson." 

Stephen  also  extended  a  hand. 

"  Sure !  "  he  said.  "  Glad  to  see  you  again,  Pearson. 
Haven't  met  you  for  an  age.  How  are  you  ?  " 

Pearson  shook  both  the  hands.  He  was  embarrassed 
and  hesitated  in  his  reply. 

"  It  has  been  some  time  since  we  met,"  he  said.  "  This 
is  an  unexpected  pleasure.  Ah,  Mr.  Dunn,  good  even- 
ing." 

"  It  is  Mr.  Pearson,  the  financial  writer  of  the  Planet, 
Malcolm,"  said  Caroline.  "  You  used  to  know  him,  I 
think." 

"  Don't  remember,  I'm  sure.  Yes,  I  do.  Met  you  at 
the  University  Club,  didn't  I  ?  " 

"  Yes.     I  was  formerly  a  member." 

"  And  let  me  present  you  to  Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn," 
went  on  the  girl.  "  Mr.  Pearson  used  to  know  father 
well." 

Mrs.  Dunn  inspected  the  visitor  through  her  lorgnette, 
and  condescended  to  admit  that  she  was  "  delighted." 

"  I'm  very  glad  you  called,"  continued  Caroline. 
"  We  were  just  in  time,  weren't  we?  Do  sit  down.  And 
if  you  will  wait  a  minute  until  we  remove  our  wraps  — 
Steve  ring  for  Edwards,  please." 

114 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  I'm  afraid  I  can't  wait,  Miss  Warren.  I  dropped  in 
to  see  your  uncle,  at  his  invitation,  and,  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  I  didn't  know  — " 

"To  see  our  uncle!"  interrupted  Stephen,  in  amaze 
ment.  "  Who  ? " 

"  Your  uncle,  Captain  Warren  here,"  explained  Pear 
son,  surprised  in  his  turn.  "  He  and  I  made  each  other's 
acquaintance  yesterday,  and  he  asked  me  to  call." 

"You  —  you  called  to  see  him?"  repeated  Stephen. 
"  Why,  wKat  in  the  world  —  ?  " 

"  I  took  the  liberty  of  askin'  him,  Caroline,"  observed 
Captain  Elisha  quietly,  and  ignoring  the  last  speaker. 
"  I  didn't  know  you  knew  him,  and  I  used  to  sail  along 
with  his  uncle,  so  he  seemed  almost  like  own  folks." 

"  Oh !  "  Caroline's  manner  changed.  "  I  presume  it 
was  a  business  call,"  she  said  slowly.  "  I  beg  pardon 
for  interrupting.  We  had  not  seen  you  since  father's 
death,  Mr.  Pearson,  and  I  assumed  that  you  had  called 
upon  my  brother  and  me.  Excuse  me.  Mrs.  Dunn,  we 
will  go  into  the  drawing-room." 

She  led  the  way  toward  the  apartment.  Captain 
Elisha  was  about  to  speak.  Pearson,  however,  explained 
for  him. 

"  Miss  Warren,"  he  said,  "if  by  a  business  call  you 
mean  one  in  the  interest  of  the  Planet,  I  assure  you  that 
you  are  mistaken.  I  am  no  longer  connected  with  any 
paper.  I  met  Captain  Warren,  under  rather  unusual 
circumstances.  We  discovered  that  we  had  mutual 
friends  and  mutual  interests.  He  asked  me  to  call  on 
him,  and  I  did  so.  I  did  not  know,  until  five  minutes 
ago,  that  he  was  your  uncle  or  that  you  and  your  brother 
lived  here.  I  beg  you  won't  leave  the  room  on  my  ac 
count.  I  was  about  to  go  when  you  came.  Good  even- 
ing." 

"5 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  bowed  and  stepped  toward  the  hall.  Captain 
Elisha  laid  a  hand  on  his  arm  and  detained  him. 

"  Just  a  minute,"  he  said.  "  Caroline,  I  want  you 
and  Steve  to  know  that  what  Mr.  Pearson  says  is  ex 
actly  true.  I  ain't  the  kind  to  talk  to  the  newspapers 
about  the  private  affairs  of  my  relations,  and,  if  I'm  any 
judge  of  character,  Mr.  Pearson,  knowin'  you  as  it  seems 
he  does,  wouldn't  be  the  kind  to  listen.  That's  all. 
Now,  Jim,  if  you  must  go." 

He  and  his  guest  were  at  the  door.  Caroline  and  Mrs. 
Dunn  were  at  the  opposite  side  of  the  room.  Suddenly 
the  girl  halted,  turned,  and,  moving  across  to  where  her 
uncle  and  the  young  man  were  standing,  once  more  ex 
tended  her  hand. 

"  Mr.  Pearson,"  she  said,  impulsively,  "  again  I  ask 
your  pardon.  I  should  have  known.  I  am  very  sorry 
I  spoke  as  I  did.  Will  you  forgive  me  ?  " 

Pearson  colored.  His  embarrassment  was  more  evi 
dent  than  before. 

"  There  is  no  occasion  for  apology,  Miss  Warren,"  he 
said.  "  I  don't  wonder  you  thought  I  had  come  in  my 
former  capacity  as  reporter." 

"  Yes,  you  do.  You  must  have  wondered.  I  am  very 
glad  you  called  to  see  my  —  my  guardian,  and  I  hope  you 
will  continue  to  do  so.  Father  used  to  speak  so  highly  of 
you,  and  I'm  sure  he  valued  your  friendship.  Stephen 
and  I  wish  to  consider  his  friends  ours.  Please  believe 
that  you  are  welcome  here  at  any  time." 

Pearson's  reply  was  brief. 

"  Thank  you,  Miss  Warren,"  he  said.  "  You  are  very 
kind.  Good  evening." 

In  the  hall,  as  they  waited  for  the  elevator,  Captain 
Elisha,  happier  than  at  any  time  since  his  arrival  in  New 
York,  clapped  his  friend  on  the  shoulder. 

116 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Jim,"  he  said,  "  I  was  beginnin'  to  doubt  my  judg 
ment  of  things  and  folks.  Now  I  feel  better.  That 
niece  of  mine  has  got  the  right  stuff  in  her.  After  that 
invitation,  you  will  come  and  see  us  once  in  a  while. 
That  makes  it  easier,  hey  ?  " 

Pearson  shook  his  head.  "  I'm  not  sure,  Captain,"  he 
observed,  slowly,  "  that  it  doesn't  make  it  harder.  I 
shall  look  for  you  at  the  boarding  house  very  soon. 
Don't  disappoint  me.  Good  night." 

The  captain's  last  remark  that  evening  was  made  to 
Edwards,  whom  he  met  just  outside  the  door  of  his  bed 
room. 

"  Commodore/'  he  said,  "  a  barn  full  of  rats  is  a 
nuisance,  ain't  it  ?  " 

"  Sir  ?  "  stammered  the  astonished  butler. 

"  I  say  a  barn  full  of  rats  is  a  nuisance." 

"  Why  —  why,  yes,  sir.  I  should  think  it  might  be, 
sir." 

"  Yup.  Well,  I  know  a  worse  one.  It's  a  house  full 
of  mysteries.  By,  by,  Son.  Pleasant  dreams." 

He  sat  up  until  late,  meditating  profoundly.  Then, 
taking  from  its  envelope  the  letter  yet  unsealed,  which  he 
had  written  to  Miss  Abigail  Baker,  he  added  this  post 
script  : 

"  Eleven  o'clock.  I  have  decided,  Abbie,  to  accept  the 
guardianship  and  the  rest  of  it,  for  a  spell,  anyhow. 
Shall  notify  the  lawyers  in  the  morning.  Necessity  is 
one  thing,  and  pleasure  is  another.  I  doubt  if  I  find 
the  job  pleasant,  but  I  guess  it  is  necessary.  Anyhow, 
it  looks  that  way  to  me." 


CHAPTER  VIII 

ANNOUNCEMENT  of  Captain  Elisha's  decision 
followed  quickly.  Sylvester,  Kuhn,  and  Graves 
received  the  telephone  message  stating  it,  and 
the  senior  partner  was  unqualifiedly  delighted.  Kuhn 
accepted  his  associate's  opinion  with  some  reservation. 
"  It  is  an  odd  piece  of  business,  the  whole  of  it,"  he 
declared.  "  I  shall  be  curious  to  see  how  it  works  out." 
As  for  Mr.  Graves,  when  the  information  was  con 
veyed  to  him  by  messenger,  he  expressed  disgust  and 
dismay.  "  Ridiculous ! "  he  said.  "  Doctor,  I  simply 
must  be  up  and  about  within  the  next  few  days.  It  is 
necessary  that  a  sane,  conservative  man  be  at  the  office. 
Far  be  it  from  me  to  say  a  word  against  Sylvester, 
as  a  lawyer,  but  he  is  subject  to  impressions.  I 
imagine  this  Cape  Codder  made  him  laugh,  and,  there 
fore,  in  his  opinion,  is  ail  right.  I'm  glad  I'm  not  a 
joker." 

The  captain  said  that  he  would  be  down  later  on  to 
talk  things  over.  Meanwhile,  if  the  "  papers  and  such  " 
could  be  gotten  together,  it  would  "  sort  of  help  along." 
Sylvester  explained  that  there  were  certain  legal  and 
formal  ceremonies  pertaining  to  the  acceptance  of  the 
trust  to  be  gone  through  with,  and  these  must  have 
precedence.  "  All  right,"  answered  the  captain.  "  Let's 
have  'em  all  out  at  once  and  get  the  ache  and  agony  over. 
I'll  see  you  by  and  by." 

When  Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn  made  her  daily  visit  to 
the  Warren  apartment  that  afternoon,  she  found  Caro- 

118 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

line  alone  and  almost  in  tears.  Captain  Elisha  had 
broken  the  news  at  the  table  during  luncheon,  after 
which  he  went  downtown.  Stephen,  having  raved,  pro 
tested,  and  made  himself  generally  disagreeable  and  his 
sister  correspondingly  miserable,  had  departed  for  the 
club.  It  was  a  time  for  confidences,  and  the  wily  Mrs. 
Dunn  realized  that  fact.  She  soothed,  comforted,  and 
within  half  an  hour,  had  learned  the  whole  story. 
Caroline  told  her  all,  the  strange  will,  the  disclosure 
concerning  the  country  uncle,  and  the  inexplicable 
clauses  begging  the  latter  to  accept  the  executorship,  the 
trust,  and  the  charge  of  her  brother  and  herself.  In 
cidentally  she  mentioned  that  a  possible  five  hundred 
thousand  was  the  extreme  limit  of  the  family's  pecuniary 
resources. 

"  Now  you  know  everything,"  sobbed  Caroline.  "  Oh, 
Mrs.  Dunn,  you  won't  desert  us,  will  you  ?  " 

The  widow's  reply  was  a  triumph,  of  its  kind.  In  it 
were  expressed  sorrow,  indignation,  pity,  and  unswerv 
ing  loyalty.  Desert  them?  Desert  the  young  people, 
toward  whom  she  had  come  to  feel  almost  like  a  mother  ? 
Never ! 

"  You  may  depend  on  Malcolm  and  me,  my  dear," 
she  declared.  "  We  are  not  fair-weather  friends.  And, 
after  all,  it  is  not  so  very  bad.  Affairs  might  be  very 
much  worse." 

"  Worse !  Oh,  Mrs.  Dunn,  how  could  they  be  ? 
Think  of  it!  Stephen  and  I  are  dependent  upon  him 
for  everything.  We  must  ask  him  for  every  penny. 
And  whatever  he  says  to  do  we  must  do.  We're 
obliged  to.  Just  think!  if  he  decides  to  take  us  back 
with  him  to  —  South  Denboro,  or  whatever  dreadful 
place  he  comes  from,  we  shall  have  to  go  —  and  live 
there." 

119 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  But  he  won't,  my  dear.  He  won't.  It  will  take 
some  time  to  settle  your  father's  affairs,  and  the  busi 
ness  will  have  to  be  transacted  here  in  New  York." 

"  I  know.  I  suppose  that's  true.  But  that  doesn't 
make  it  any  easier.  If  he  stops  here  he  will  stay  with 
us.  And  what  shall  we  do?  We  can't  introduce  him 
to  our  friends,  or,  at  least,  to  any  except  our  best,  our 
understanding  friends,  like  you  and  Malcolm." 

"  Why,  I'm  not  sure.  He  is  rather  —  well  —  er  — 
countryfied,  but  I  believe  he  has  a  good  heart.  He  is  not 
rude  or  unkind  or  anything  of  that  sort,  is  he?  " 

"  No.  No-o.  He's  not  that,  at  all.  In  fact,  he 
means  to  be  kind  in  his  way.  But  it's  such  a  different 
way  from  ours.  He  is  not  used  to  society ;  he  wouldn't 
understand  that  certain  things  and  ways  were  abso 
lutely  essential.  I  suppose  it  isn't  his  fault  exactly,  but 
that  doesn't  help.  And  how  can  we  tell  him  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  that  you  can  tell  him,  but  you  might 
hint.  Diplomacy,  my  dear,  is  one  of  the  necessary  ele 
ments  of  life.  Whatever  else  you  do  remember  to  be 
diplomatic.  My  poor  husband  used  to  have  a  pet 
proverb  —  he  was  interested  in  politics,  my  dear,  and 
some  of  his  sayings  were  a  trifle  grotesque  but  very  much 
to  the  point.  He  used  to  say  that  one  could  get  rid 
of  more  flies  with  molasses  than  with  a  club.  And  I 
think  he  was  right.  Now  let  me  consider.  Let's  look 
the  situation  right  in  the  face.  Of  course  your  guardian, 
as  a  companion,  as  an  associate  for  us,  for  our  kind 
of  people,  is,  to  be  quite  frank,  impossible." 

"  Yes.     Yes,  I'm  sure  he  is." 

"  Yes.  But  he  is  your  guardian.  Therefore,  we  can't 
get  rid  of  him  with  —  well,  with  a  club.  He  must  be 
endured  and  made  as  endurable  as  possible.  And  it  cer 
tainly  will  not  do  to  offend  him." 

120 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Steve  says  we  must  do  what  he  calls  freezing  him 
out  —  make  him  feel  that  we  do  not  want  him  here." 

"  Hum !  Well,  Stephen  is  a  nice  boy  —  Malcolm 
adores  him  —  but  he  isn't  a  diplomat.  If  we  should  — 
what  is  it  ?  —  freeze  out  your  uncle  — " 

"  Please  call  him  something  else." 

"  Well,  we'll  call  him  the  encumbrance  on  the  estate ; 
that's  legal,  I  believe,  and  expresses  it  nicely.  If  we 
should  freeze  out  the  encumbrance,  we  might  freeze  him 
to  his  village,  and  he  might  insist  on  your  going  with 
him,  which  wouldn't  do  at  all,  my  dear.  For  one  thing, 
Malcolm  would  probably  insist  on  going,  also,  and  I, 
for  one,  don't  yearn  for  rural  simplicity.  Ha!  ha! 
Oh,  you  mustn't  mind  me.  I'm  only  a  doting  mamma, 
dearie,  and  I  have  my  air  castles  like  everyone  else. 
So,  freezing  out  won't  do.  No,  you  and  Steve  must  be 
polite  to  our  encumbrance." 

"  I  shall  not  get  on  my  knees  to  him  and  beg.  That 
I  sha'n't  do." 

"  No  one  expects  you  to.  If  anyone  begs  it  should  be 
he.  Condescend  to  just  a  little.  Make  him  feel  his 
place.  Correct  him  when  he  goes  too  far  wrong,  and 
ignore  him  when  he  gets  assertive.  As  for  getting  rid 
of  him  at  times  when  it  may  be  necessary  —  well,  I  think 
you  may  safely  leave  that  to  me." 

"  To  you  ?  Oh,  Mrs.  Dunn,  we  couldn't  think  of 
dragging  you  into  it.  It  is  bad  enough  that  we  should 
be  disgraced ;  but  you  must  not  be." 

"  My  dear  child,  I  think  my  position  in  society  is 
sufficiently  established  to  warrant  a  risk  or  two.  If  / 
am  seen  in  company  with  —  with  the  encumbrance,  peo 
ple  will  merely  say,  '  Oh,  it's  another  of  her  eccentrici 
ties  ! '  that's  all.  Now,  don't  worry,  and  don't  fret  all 
that  pretty  color  from  your  cheeks.  Always  remem- 

121 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

her  this :  it  is  but  for  a  year  or  a  trifle  over.  Then  you 
will  be  of  age  and  can  send  your  encumbrance  to  the 
right-about  in  a  hurry." 

Caroline,  under  the  spell  of  this  convincing  eloquence, 
began  to  cheer  up.  She  even  smiled. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  "  I  will  try  to  be  diplomatic.  I 
really  will.  But  Stephen  —  I'm  not  sure  what  dreadful 
thing  he  will  do." 

"  He  will  return  to  college  soon.  I  will  take  upon 
myself  the  convincing  of  the  encumbrance  to  that  effect. 
And  while  he  is  at  home,  Malcolm  will  take  charge  of 
him.  He  will  be  delighted  to  do  it." 

"  Mrs.  Dunn,  how  can  we  ever  thank  you  sufficiently  ? 
What  should  we  do  without  you  and  Malcolm  ?  " 

"  I  hope,  my  dear,  that  you  will  never  have  to  do  with 
out  me ;  not  for  many  years,  at  any  rate.  Of  course, 
there  is  always  my  poor  heart,  but  —  we  won't  worry, 
will  we?" 

So,  with  a  kiss  and  an  embrace,  this  affecting  interview 
ended. 

There  was  another  that  evening  between  Mrs.  Dunn 
and  her  son,  which  was  not  devoid  of  interest.  Mal 
colm  listened  to  the  information  which  his  mother  gave 
him,  and  commented  upon  it  in  characteristic  fashion. 

"Humph!"  he  observed,  "two  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand,  instead  of  the  two  million  you  figured  on, 
Mater !  Two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  isn't  so  much, 
in  these  days." 

"  No,"  replied  his  parent,  sharply,  "  it  isn't  so  much, 
but  it  isn't  so  little,  either." 

"  I  suppose  one  can  get  along  on  it." 

"  Yes,  one  can.  In  fact,  I  know  of  two  who  are 
managing  with  a  good  deal  less.  Don't  be  any  more  of 
a  fool  than  you  can  help,  Malcolm.  The  sum  itself  isn't 

122 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

small,  and,  besides,  the  Warrens  are  a  family  of  stand 
ing.  To  be  connected  with  them  is  worth  a  good  deal. 
There  are  infinite  possibilities  in  it.  Oh,  if  only  I  might 
live  to  see  the  day  when  tradespeople  meant  something 
other  than  nuisances  to  be  dodged,  I  think  I  could  die 
contented." 

"  Caro's  a  decent  sort  of  a  girl,"  commented  Malcolm, 
reflectively. 

"  She's  a  bright  girl  and  an  attractive  one.  Just  now 
she  is  in  a  mood  to  turn  to  us,  to  you.  But,  for  Heaven's 
sake,  be  careful!  She  is  delicate  and  sensitive  and  re 
quires  managing.  She  likes  you.  If  only  you  weren't 
such  a  blunderer !  " 

"  Much  obliged,  Mater.  You're  free  with  your  com 
pliments  this  evening.  What's  the  trouble?  Another 
'  heart '  ?  " 

"  No.  My  heart  I  can  trust,  up  to  certain  limits. 
But  I'm  afraid  of  your  head,  just  as  I  always  was  of 
your  father's.  And  here's  one  more  bit  of  advice:  Be 
careful  how  you  treat  that  country  uncle." 

"  The  Admiral !     Ho !  ho !     He's  a  card." 

"  He  may  be  the  trump  that  will  lose  us  the  trick. 
Treat  him  civilly;  yes,  even  cordially,  if  you  can.  And 
don't  insult  him  as  you  did  the  first  time  you  and  he 
met." 

The  young  man  crossed  his  legs,  and  grunted  in  resig 
nation. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  it's  going  to  be  a  confounded  bore, 
but,  at  the  very  longest,  it'll  last  but  a  year.  Then  Caro 
will  be  her  own  mistress." 

"  Yes.  But  there  are  three  hundred  and  sixty-five 
days  in  a  year ;  remember  that." 

"  All   right,    Mater.     You   can  bet  on   me.     The   old 
hayseed  and  I  will  be  bosom  pals.     Wait  and  see." 
9  12.1 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

The  formalities  at  the  lawyers'  took  some  time.  Cap 
tain  Elisha  was  absent  from  the  apartment  the  better 
part  of  the  following  two  days.  The  evenings,  how 
ever,  he  spent  with  his  niece  and  nephew,  and,  if  at  all 
sensitive  to  sudden  changes  of  the  temperature,  he  must 
have  noticed  that  the  atmosphere  of  the  library  was 
less  frigid.  Caroline  was  not  communicative,  did  not 
make  conversation,  nor  was  she  in  the  least  familiar ; 
but  she  answered  his  questions,  did  not  leave  the  room 
when  he  entered,  and  seemed  inclined  to  accept  his 
society  with  resignation,  if  not  with  enthusiasm.  Even 
Stephen  was  less  sarcastic  and  bitter.  At  times,  when 
his  new  guardian  did  or  said  something  which  offended 
his  highly  cultivated  sense  of  the  proprieties,  he  seemed 
inclined  to  burst  out  with  a  sneer ;  but  a  quick  "  ahem !  " 
or  a  warning  glance  from  his  sister  caused  him  to  re 
main  silent  and  vent  his  indignation  by  kicking  a  foot 
stool  or  barking  a  violent  order  at  the  unresisting  Ed 
wards.  Caroline  and  her  brother  had  had  a  heart  to 
heart  talk,  and,  as  a  result,  the  all-wise  young  gentleman 
promised  to  make  no  more  trouble  than  he  could  help. 

"  Though,  by  gad,  Caro,"  he  declared,  "  it's  only  for 
you  I  do  it!  If  I  had  my  way  the  old  butt-in  should 
understand  exactly  what  I  think  of  him." 

On  Thursday,  after  luncheon,  as  Captain  Elisha  sat  in 
his  own  room,  reading  a  book  he  had  taken  from  the 
library,  there  came  a  knock  at  the  door. 

"  Come  ahead  in !  "  ordered  the  captain.  Caroline  en 
tered.  Her  uncle  rose  and  put  down  the  book. 

"  Oh ! "  he  exclaimed,  "  is  it  you  ?  Excuse  me.  I 
thought  'twas  the  Commodore  —  Edwards,  I  mean.  If 
I'd  known  you  was  comin'  callin',  Caroline,  I  shouldn't 
have  been  quite  so  bossy.  Guess  I'd  have  opened  the 
door  for  you,  instead  of  lettin'  you  do  it  yourself." 

124 


•CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Thank  you,"  answered  his  niece.  "  I  came  to  see 
you  on  —  I  suppose  you  might  call  it  business.  At  any 
rate,  it  is  a  financial  matter.  I  sha'n't  detain  you  long." 

Captain  Elisha  was  a  trifle  disappointed. 

"Oh,"  he  said,  "on  business,  was  it?  I  hoped  —  I 
didn't  know  but  you'd  come  just  out  of  sociability. 
However,  I'm  mighty  glad  to  see  you,  Caroline,  no  mat 
ter  what  it's  for.  That's  a  real  becomin'  dress  you've 
got  on,"  he  added,  inspecting  her  admiringly.  "  I  de 
clare,  you  look  prettier  every  time  I  see  you.  You  favor 
your  pa  consider'ble ;  I  can  see  it  more  and  more. 
'Bije  had  about  all  the  good  looks  there  was  in  our 
family,"  with  a  chuckle.  "  Set  down,  do." 

The  girl  seated  herself  in  a  rocker,  and  looked  at  him 
for  a  moment  without  speaking.  She  seemed  to  have 
something  on  her  mind,  and  not  to  know  exactly  how  to 
express  it. 

"  Captain  Warren,"  she  began,  "I  —  I  came  to  ask  a 
favor.  I  am  obliged  to  ask  it,  because  you  are  our — '' 
she  almost  choked  over  the  hated  word  — "  our  guard 
ian,  and  I  can  no  longer  act  on  my  own  responsibility. 
I  wish  to  ask  you  for  some  money." 

Captain  Elisha  nodded  gravely. 

"I  see,"  he  said.  "Well,  Caroline,  I  don't  believe 
you'll  find  me  very  close-fisted.  I  think  I  told  you  and 
Steve  that  you  was  to  do  just  as  you'd  been  in  the  habit 
of  doin'.  Of  course  I  am  your  guardian  now,  and  I 
shall  be  held  responsible  for  whatever  expense  comes  to 
the  estate.  It  is  quite  a  responsibility,  and  I  so  under 
stand  it.  As  I  said  to  you  when  I  told  you  I'd  decided 
to  take  the  job  on  trial,  while  I  have  it  it'll  be  my  pride 
to  see  that  you  or  your  brother  don't  lose  anything.  I 
intend,  if  the  Almighty  spares  me  so  long  and  I  keep  on, 
with  the  trust,  to  turn  over,  when  my  term's  out,  at  least 

125 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

as  much  to  you  and  Steve  as  your  father  left.  That's 
all.  Excuse  me  for  mentioning  it  again.  Now,  how 
much  do  you  want?  Is  your  reg'lar  allowance  too  small? 
Remember,  I  don't  know  much  about  such  things  here  in 
New  York,  and  you  must  be  frank  and  aboveboard  and 
tell  me  if  you  have  any  complaints." 

"  I  have  no  complaints.  My  allowance  is  sufficient. 
It  is  the  same  that  father  used  to  give  me,  and  it  is  all 
I  need.  But  this  is  a  matter  outside  my  personal  needs." 

"  Um-hm.  Somethin'  to  do  with  the  household  ex 
penses,  hey  ?  " 

"No.  It  is  —  is  a  matter  of  —  well,  of  charity.  It 
may  amount  to  several  hundred  dollars." 

"  Yes,  yes.     I  see.     Charity,  hey  ?     Church  ?  " 

"  No.  One  of  the  maids,  Annie,  has  trouble  at  home, 
and  I  wanted  to  help  her." 

The  captain  nodded  once  more. 

"  Annie,"  he  repeated,  "  that's  the  rosy- faced  one  ? 
The  Irish  one?" 

"  Yes.  Her  father  was  seriously  injured  the  other 
day  and  cannot  work.  His  hip  is  broken,  and  the  doc 
tor's  bill  will  be  large.  They  are  very  poor,  and  I 
thought  perhaps — "  She  hesitated,  faltered,  and  then 
said  haughtily :  "  Father  was  very  sympathetic  and 
liked  to  have  me  do  such  things." 

"  Sho !  sho !  Sartin !  Course  he  did.  I  like  it,  too. 
I'm  glad  you  came  to  me  just  as  you  did,  Caroline.  How 
much  do  you  want  to  start  with  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  exactly.  I  thought  I  might  ask  our 
own  doctor  to  attend  to  the  case,  and  might  send  them 
some  delicacies  and  food." 

"  Good  idea !     Go  right  ahead,  Caroline." 

"  Thank  you.  I  have  been  over  to  see  them,  and  they 
need  help  —  they  really  do." 

126 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"I  presume  likely.  How'd  the  accident  happen? 
Anybody's  fault,  was  it  ?  " 

Caroline's  eyes  snapped.  "  Indeed  it  was !  "  she  said, 
indignantly.  "  It  was  a  wet  morning,  after  a  rain,  and 
the  pavement  was  slippery.  Mr.  Moriarty,  Annie's 
father,  was  not  working  that  day  —  they  were  making 
some  repairs  at  the  factory  where  he  is  employed,  I 
believe  —  and  he  had  gone  out  to  do  the  family  market 
ing.  He  was  crossing  the  street  when  an  automobile, 
recklessly  driven,  so  everyone  says,  drove  directly  down 
on  him.  He  tried  to  jump  out  of  the  way  and  succeeded 
—  otherwise  he  might  have  been  killed ;  but  he  fell  and 
broke  his  hip.  He  is  an  old  man,  and  the  case  is 
serious." 

"  Dear !  dear !  you  don't  tell  me !  Poor  old  chap ! 
The  auto  feller  —  did  he  help  ?  Seems  to  me  he  ought  to 
be  the  one  to  be  spendin'  the  money.  'Twas  his  fault." 

"  Help !  Indeed  he  didn't !  He  and  the  man  with 
him  merely  laughed,  as  if  it  was  a  good  joke,  put  on 
speed,  and  disappeared  as  quickly  as  possible." 

"  Why,  the  mean  swab !  Did  this  Mr.  Moriarty  or  the 
folks  around  get  the  license  number  of  the  auto?" 

"  No.  All  they  know  is  that  it  was  a  big  yellow  car 
with  two  men  in  it." 

"Hey?     A  yellow  car?" 

"  Yes.  Somewhat  similar  to  the  one  Malcolm  —  Mr. 
Dunn  drives." 

"  So,  so !     Hum  !     Where  did  it  happen?  " 

"  On  Saint  Nicholas  Avenue,  near  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-Eighth  Street." 

"  Eh  ?     Saint  Nicholas  Avenue,  you  say  ?  " 

"  Yes."  Caroline  rose  and  turned  to  go.  "  Thank 
you,  Captain  Warren,"  she  said.  "  I  will  tell  Doctor 
Henry  to  take  the  case  at  once." 

127 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

The  captain  did  not  answer  immediately.  With  his 
chin  in  his  hand  he  was  gazing  at  the  floor. 

"  Good  afternoon,"  said  Caroline. 

Her  uncle  looked  up. 

"  Er  —  Wait  just  a  minute,  Caroline,"  he  said.  "  I 
guess  maybe,  if  you  don't  mind,  I'd  like  to  think  this 
over  a  little  afore  you  go  too  far.  You  have  your  doctor 
go  right  ahead  and  see  to  the  old  man,  and  you  order 
the  things  to  eat  and  whatever's  necessary.  But  afore 
you  give  Annie  or  her  father  any  money,  I'd  kind  of  like 
to  figger  a  little  mite." 

His  niece  stopped  short,  turned  and  stared  at  him. 

"Oh!"  she  said,  slowly  and  icily,  "I  see.  Please 
don't  trouble  yourself.  I  should  have  known.  How 
ever,  my  allowance  is  my  own,  and  I  presume  I  am  per 
mitted  to  do  what  I  please  with  that." 

"  Caroline,  don't  be  hasty.  I  ain't  sayin'  no  about  the 
money.  Far  from  it.  I  only — " 

"  I  understand  —  thoroughly.  Don't  trouble  to 
*  figure,'  as  you  call  it.  Oh !  why  did  I  humiliate  my 
self?  I  should  have  known!" 

"  Caroline,  please  — " 

But  the  girl  had  gone,  closing  the  door  after  her. 
Captain  Elisha  shook  his  head,  heaved  a  deep  sigh,  and 
then,  sinking  back  into  his  chair,  relapsed  into  medita 
tion.  Soon  afterward  he  put  on  his  hat  and  coat  and 
went  out. 

Half  an  hour  later  he  entered  the  office  of  a  firm  of 
commission  brokers  on  lower  Broad  Street,  and  inquired 
if  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Mr.  Malcolm  Dunn  was 
connected  with  that  establishment.  On  being  answered 
in  the  affirmative,  he  asked  if  Mr.  Dunn  were  in.  Yes, 
he  was. 

"Well,"  said  Captain  Elisha,  "I'd  like  to  speak  to 
128 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

him  a  minute  or  so.     Just  tell  him  my  name's  Warren, 
if  you  don't  mind,  young  feller." 

The  clerk  objected  to  being  addressed  as  "  young  fel 
ler,"  and  showed  his  disapproval  by  the  haughty  and 
indifferent  manner  in  which  he  departed  on  the  errand. 
However,  he  did  so  depart,  and  returned  followed  by 
Malcolm  himself.  The  latter,  who  had  been  misled 
by  the  name  into  supposing  his  caller  to  be  Stephen 
Warren,  was  much  astonished  when  he  saw  the  cap 
tain  seated  outside  the  railing. 

"  Good  afternoon,"  said  Captain  Elisha,  rising  and  ex 
tending  his  hand.  "  How  are  you  to-day,  sir  ?  Pretty 
smart?" 

The  young  man  answered  briefly  that  he  was  all  right. 
He  added  he  was  glad  to  see  his  visitor,  a  statement 
more  polite  than  truthful. 

"  Well,  what's  up  ? "  he  inquired,  condescendingly. 
"  Nothing  wrong  with  Caro  or  Steve,  I  hope." 

"  No,  they're  fust-rate,  thank  you." 

"  What's  doing,  then  ?     Is  it  pleasure  or  business  ?  " 

"  Well,  a  little  of  both,  maybe.  It's  always  a  pleas 
ure  to  see  you,  of  course ;  and  I  have  got  a  little  mite 
of  business  on  hand." 

Malcolm  smiled,  in  his  languid  fashion.  If  he  sus 
pected  sarcasm  in  the  first  part  of  the  captain's  reply, 
it  did  not  trouble  him.  His  self-sufficiency  was  proof 
against  anything  of  that  sort. 

"  Business,"  he  repeated.  "  Well,  that's  what  I'm 
here  for.  Thinking  of  cornering  the  —  er  —  potato 
market,  were  you  ?  " 

"  No-o.  Cranberries  would  be  more  in  my  line,  and 
I  cal'Lte  you  fellers  don't  deal  in  that  kind  of  sass.  I 
hac  a  private  matter  I  wanted  to  talk  over  with  you, 
Mr.  Dunn ;  that  is,  if  you  ain't  too  busy." 

129 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Malcolm  looked  at  him  with  an  amused  curiosity.  As 
he  had  expressed  it  in  the  conversation  with  his  mother, 
this  old  fellow  certainly  was  a  "  card."  He  seated  him 
self  on  the  arm  of  the  oak  settle  from  which  the  captain 
had  risen  and,  lazily  swinging  a  polished  shoe,  admitted 
that  he  was  always  busy  but  never  too  busy  to  oblige. 

"What's  on  your  mind,  Captain?"  he  drawled. 

Captain  Elisha  glanced  about  him  somewhat  uneasily. 

"I  —  I  don't  know  as  I  made  it  quite  clear,"  he  said, 
"that  it  was  sort  of  private;  somethin'  just  between  us, 
you  understand." 

Malcolm  hesitated.  Sliding  from  the  settle,  and  im 
patiently  commanding  the  clerk  to  open  the  gate  in  the 
railing,  he  led  his  caller  through  the  main  office  and  into 
a  small  room  beyond.  On  the  glass  pane  of  the  door 
was  lettered,  "  Mr.  Dunn  —  Private."  A  roll-top  desk 
in  the  corner  and  three  chairs  were  the  furniture.  Mal 
colm,  after  closing  the  door,  sprawled  in  the  swing  chair 
before  the  desk,  threw  one  leg  over  a  drawer,  which 
he  pulled  out  for  that  purpose,  and  motioned  his  com 
panion  to  occupy  one  of  the  other  chairs. 

Captain  Elisha  took  the  offered  chair  and  dropped  his 
hat  on  the  floor  beside  it.  Then  he  inspected  the  room 
and  its  furnishings  with  interest.  Dunn  drew  out  a 
pocket  case,  extracted  a  cigarette,  lit  it,  and  waited  for 
him  to  speak. 

"  Well,"  observed  the  young  man,  after  a  moment, 
"  what's  the  trouble,  Admiral  ?  Better  get  it  off  your 
chest,  hadn't  you?  We're  private  enough  here." 

The  captain  answered  the  last  question.  "  Yes,"  he 
said,  "  this  is  nice  and  private.  Got  a  stateroom  all  to 
yourself;  name  on  the  door,  and  everything  complete. 
You  must  be  one  of  the  officers  of  the  craft" 

"  Yes." 

130 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Um-hm.  I  sort  of  expected  to  find  your  name  on 
the  door  outside,  but  there  'twas,  '  Smith,  Haynes  &  Co.' 
I  presume  likely  you're  the  '  Co.' ''' 

"  I  '  presume  likely,' "  with  mocking  impatience. 
"  What  about  that  private  matter  ?  " 

Captain  Elisha  did  not  appear  to  hear  him.  His  eyes 
were  fixed  on  several  photographs  stuck  in  the  rail  of 
Mr.  Dunn's  desk.  The  photos  were  those  of  young 
ladies. 

''Friends  of  yours?"  inquired  the  captain,  nodding 
toward  the  photographs. 

"  No."  Dunn  took  the  photos  from  the  rack  and 
threw  them  into  a  pigeon  hole.  "  Look  here,"  he  said, 
pointedly,  "  I  wouldn't  hurry  you  for  the  world,  but  — " 

He  paused.  Captain  Elisha  did  not  take  the  hint. 
His  mind  was  evidently  still  busy  with  the  vanished 
photographs. 

"Just  fancy  pictures,  I  s'pose,  hey?"  he  commented. 

"  Doubtless.     Any  other  little  points  I  can  give  you  ?  " 

"  I  guess  not.  I  thought  they  was  fancy ;  looked  so 
to  me.  Well,  about  that  private  matter.  Mr.  Dunn,  I 
come  to  see  you  about  an  automobile." 

"  An  automobile  !  "  The  young  man  was  so  astonished 
that  he  actually  removed  his  feet  from  the  desk.  Then 
he  burst  into  a  laugh.  "  An  automobile  ?  "  he  repeated. 
"  Captain,  has  the  influence  of  the  metropolis  made  you 
a  sport  already  ?  Do  you  want  to  buy  a  car  ?  " 

"  Buy  one  ?  "  It  was  Captain  Elisha's  turn  to  show 
irritation.  "Buy  one  of  them  things?  Me?  I  would 
n't  buy  one  of  'em,  or  run  one  of  'em,  for  something  / 
tell  you !  No,  I  don't  want  to  buy  one." 

"Why  not?     Sell  you  mine  for  a  price." 

"  Not  if  I  see  you  fust,  thank  you.  No,  Mr.  Dunn, 
'tain't  that.  But  one  of  the  hired  help  up  to  our  place 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

—  Caroline's  place,  I  mean  —  is  in  trouble  on  account  of 
one  of  the  dratted  machines.  They're  poor  folks,  of 
course,  and  they  need  money  to  help  'em  through  the 
doctorin'  and  nursin'  and  while  the  old  man's  out  of 
\vork.  Caroline  was  for  givin'  it  to  'em  right  off,  she's 
a  good-hearted  girl;  but  I  said  —  that  is,  I  kind  of 
coaxed  her  out  of  it.  I  thought  I'd  ask  some  questions 
first." 

"  So  you  came  to  me  to  ask  them  ?  "  Malcolm  smiled 
contentedly.  Evidently  the  cares  and  complications  of 
guardianship  were  already  proving  too  intricate  for  the 
unsophisticated  countryman.  He  wished  advice,  and 
had  come  to  him  for  it,  possibly  at  Caroline's  suggestion. 
Affairs  were  shaping  themselves  well.  Here  was  an 
opportunity  to  act  the  disinterested  friend,  as  per  ma 
ternal  instructions. 

"  So  you  wanted  to  ask  questions,  did  you,  Captain  ?  " 
he  repeated.  "  Well,  fire  away.  Anything  I  can  do  to 
help  you  or  Caroline  will  be  a  pleasure,  of  course. 
Smoke?" 

He  offered  the  cigarette  case.  The  captain  eyed  it 
dubiously  and  shook  his  head. 

"  No,"  he  said ;  "  no,  thank  you,  I  commenced 
smokin'  at  the  butt  end,  I  guess.  Begun  with  a  pipe, 
and  them  things  would  seem  sort  of  kindergarten,  I'm 
afraid.  No  offense  meant,  you  understand.  It's  all  ac- 
cordin'  to  what  you've  been  used  to.  Well,  about  the 
questions.  Here's  the  first  one :  Don't  it  seem  to  you 
that  the  right  one  to  pay  for  the  doctorin'  and  nursin' 
and  such  of  Mr.  Moriarty  —  that's  Annie's  pa  —  ought 
to  be  the  feller  who  hurt  him?  That  feller,  instead  of 
Caroline  ?  " 

"Sure  thing!  If  you  know  who  did  it,  he's  your 
mark." 

132 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  He  could  be  held  responsible,  couldn't  he  ?  " 

"  Certainly." 

"  Um-hm.  So  I  thought.  And  if  he  was  a  right- 
minded  chap,  he'd  be  glad  to  help  the  poor  critter,  pro- 
vidin'  he  knew  what  damage  he'd  done;  wouldn't  you 
think  so?" 

Malcolm  nodded  sagely,  opened  his  mouth  to  speak, 
and  then  closed  it  again.  A  sudden  recollection  came 
to  him,  an  alarming  recollection.  He  turned  in  his  chair 
and  looked  at  his  visitor.  Captain  Elisha  met  his  gaze 
frankly. 

"  Where  did  this  accident  happen  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Dunn, 
his  condescending  smile  absent. 

"  At  the  corner  of  Saint  Nicholas  Avenue  and  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-Eighth  Street.  It  happened  last 
Friday  mornin',  a  week  ago.  And  the  car  that  hit  him 
was  a  yellow  one." 

Malcolm  did  not  answer.  His  pale  face  grew  paler, 
and  then  flushed  a  brilliant  red.  The  captain  seemed 
to  feel  sorry  for  him. 

"  Naturally,"  he  went  on,  "  when  I  heard  about  it,  I 
remembered  what  you  told  Mr.  Sylvester  and  me  at  the 
club  that  afternoon.  I  understand  how  'twas,  of  course. 
Yon  never  thought  you'd  done  any  real  harm  and  just 
went  on,  thinkin'  'twas  a  good  joke,  much  as  anything. 
If  you'd  known  you'd  really  hurt  the  poor  old  man, 
you'd  have  stopped  to  see  him.  I  understand  that. 
But  — " 

"  Look  here !  "  interrupted  Dunn,  sharply,  "  did  Caro 
line  send  you  to  me  ?  " 

"Caroline?  No,  no!  She  don't  know  'twas  your 
automobile  at  all.  I  never  said  a  word  to  her,  'tain't 
likely.  But  afore  she  spent  any  of  her  money,  I  thought 
you'd  ought  to  know,  because  I  was  sure  you  wouldn't 

133 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

let  her.  That's  the  way  I'd  feel,  and  I  felt  'twas  no 
more'n  honest  to  give  you  the  chance.  I  come  on  my  own 
hook;  she  didn't  know  anything  about  it." 

Malcolm  drummed  on  the  desk  with  nervous  fingers. 
The  flush  remained  on  his  face,  his  cigarette  had  gone 
out,  and  he  threw  the  stump  savagely  into  the  waste- 
paper  basket.  Captain  Elisha  remained  silent.  At 
length  the  young  man  spoke. 

"  Well,"  he  growled,  pettishly,  "  how  much  will  it  take 
to  square  things  with  the  gang?  How  much  damages 
do  they  want?  " 

"  Damages  ?  Oh,  there  won't  be  any  claim  for  dam 
ages,  I  guess.  That  is,  no  lawsuit,  or  anything  of  that 
kind.  The  Moriartys  don't  know  you  did  it,  and  there's 
no  reason  why  they  should.  I  thought  maybe  I'd  see  to 
'em  and  do  whatever  was  necessary ;  then  you  could 
settle  with  me,  and  the  whole  business  would  be  just 
between  us  two.  Outside  the  doctor's  bills  and  food 
and  nursin'  and  such,  all  the  extry  will  be  just  the  old 
man's  wages  for  the  time  he's  away  from  the  factory. 
'Twon't  be  very  heavy." 

More  reflection  and  finger  tattoo  by  his  companion. 
Then: 

"  All  right !  I'm  in  it,  I  can  see  that ;  and  it's  up  to 
me  to  get  out  as  easy  as  I  can.  I  don't  want  any  news 
paper  publicity.  Go  ahead !  I'll  pay  the  freight." 

Captain  Elisha  arose  and  picked  up  his  hat. 

"  That's  fust-rate,"  he  said,  with  emphasis.  "  I  felt 
sure  you'd  see  it  just  as  I  did.  There's  one  thing  I 
would  like  to  say,"  he  added :  "  that  is,  that  you  mustn't 
think  I  was  stingy  about  helpin'  'em  myself.  But  it 
wa'n't  really  my  affair ;  and  when  Caroline  spoke  of 
spendin'  her  money  and  Steve's,  I  didn't  feel  I'd  ought 
to  let  her.  You  see,  I  don't  know  as  you  know  it  yet, 

134 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Mr.  Dunn,  but  my  brother  'Bije  left  me  in  charge  of  his 
whole  estate,  and,  now  that  I've  decided  to  take  the  re 
sponsibility,  I've  got  a  sort  of  pride  in  not  wastin'  any 
of  his  children's  inheritance.  Good  day,  Mr.  Dunn. 
I'm  much  obliged  to  you." 

He  opened  the  office  door.  Malcolm,  frowning  heav 
ily,  suddenly  asked  a  final  question. 

"Say!"  he  demanded,  "you'll  not  tell  Caroline  or 
Steve  a  word  of  this,  mind ! " 

The  captain  seemed  surprised. 

"  I  guess  you  didn't  catch  what  I  said,  Mr.  Dunn,"  he 
observed,  mildly.  "  I  told  you  this  whole  business  would 
be  just  between  you  and  me." 


CHAPTER  IX 

CAPTAIN  ELISHA  was  very  far  from  consid 
ering  himself  a  Solomon.  As  he  would  have 
said,  he  had  lived  long  enough  with  himself 
to  know  what  a  lot  he  didn't  know..  Nevertheless,  deep 
down  in  his  inner  consciousness,  he  cherished  a  belief  in 
his  judgment  of  human  nature.  This  judgment  was  not 
of  the  snap  variety ;  he  took  his  time  in  forming  it.  Peo 
ple  and  their  habits,  their  opinions  and  characters,  were 
to  him  interesting  problems.  He  liked  to  study  them 
and  to  reach  conclusions  founded  upon  reason,  observa 
tion,  and  common  sense.  Having  reached  such  a  con 
clusion,  it  disturbed  him  when  the  subjects  of  the  prob 
lem  suddenly  upset  the  whole  process  of  reasoning  and 
apparently  proved  him  wrong  by  behavior  exactly  con 
trary  tOv.that  which  he  had  expected. 

He  had  been  pretty  well  satisfied  with  the  result  of 
his  visit  to  young  Dunn  at  the  latter's  office.  Malcolm 
had  surrendered,  perhaps  not  gracefully  or  uncondi 
tionally,  but  he  had  surrendered,  and  the  condition  — 
secrecy  —  was  one  which  the  captain  himself  had  sug 
gested.  Captain  Elisha's  mental  attitude  toward  the  son 
of  the  late  Tammany  leader  had  been  a  sort  of  good- 
natured  but  alert  tolerance.  He  judged  the  young  man 
to  be  a  product  of  rearing  and  environment.  He  had 
known  spoiled  youths  at  the  Cape  and,  in  their  surround 
ings,  they  behaved  much  as  Malcolm  did  in  his.  The 
same  disrespect  to  their  elders,  the  same  cock-sureness, 
and  the  same  careless  indifference  concerning  the  effect 

136 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

which  their  actions  might  have  upon  other  people  —  these 
were  natural  and  nothing  but  years  and  the  hard  knocks 
of  experience  could  bring  about  a  change.  Elkanah 
Chase,  country  swell  and  pampered  heir  to  the  cranberry 
grower's  few  thousands,  and  Malcolm  Dunn,  idol  of  his 
set  at  the  Metropolitan  Club,  were  not  so  very  different, 
except  in  externals.  The  similarity  confirmed  his  opin 
ion  that  New  York  was  merely  South  Denboro  many 
thousand  times  magnified. 

He  knew  how  young  Chase  had  behaved  after  an  in 
terview  not  unlike  that  just  described.  In  Elkanah's 
case  several  broken  windows  and  property  destroyed 
on  a  revel  the  night  before  the  Fourth  had  caused  the 
trouble.  In  Malcolm's  it  was  an  automobile.  Both  had 
listened  to  reason  and  had  knuckled  under  rather  than 
face  possible  lawsuits  and  certain  publicity.  Chase,  how 
ever,  had  sulkily  refused  to  speak  to  him  for  a  month, 
and  regained  affability  merely  because  he  wished  to  bor 
row  money.  According  to  the  captain's  deduction,  Dunn 
should  have  acted  in  similar  fashion.  But  he  didn't; 
that  was  the  odd  part  of  it. 

For  Malcolm,  when  he  next  called,  in  company  with 
his  mother,  at  the  Warren  apartment,  was  not  in  the 
least  sulky.  Neither  was  he  over  effusive,  which  would 
have  argued  fear  and  a  desire  to  conciliate.  Possibly 
there  was  a  bit  more  respect  in  his  greeting  of  the  new 
guardian  and  a  trifle  less  condescension,  but  not  much. 
He  still  hailed  Captain  Elisha  as  "  Admiral,"  and  was 
as  mockingly  careless  as  ever  in  his  remarks  concerning 
the  latter's  newness  in  the  big  city.  In  fact,  he  was  so 
little  changed  that  the  captain  was  perplexed.  A  chap 
who  could  take  a  licking  when  he  deserved  it,  and  not 
hold  malice,  must  have  good  in  him,  unless,  of  course, 
he  was  hiding  the  malice  for  a  purpose.  And  if  that 

137 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

purpose  was  the  wish  to  appear  friendly,  then  the  man 
ner  of  hiding  it  proved  Malcolm  Dunn  to  possess  more 
brains  than  Captain  Elisha  had  given  him  credit  for. 

One  thing  seemed  sure,  the  Dunns  were  not  openly 
hostile.  And  Caroline  was.  Since  the  interview  in  the 
library,  when  the  girl  had,  as  she  considered  it,  humili 
ated  herself  by  asking  her  guardian  for  money  to  help 
the  Moriartys,  she  had  scarcely  spoken  to  him.  Stephen, 
taking  his  cue  from  his  sister,  was  morose  and  silent, 
also.  Captain  Elisha  found  it  hard  to  forgive  his  dead 
brother  for  bringing  all  this  trouble  upon  him. 

His  lawyers,  so  Sylvester  informed  him,  were  setting 
about  getting  Rodgers  Warren's  tangible  assets  to 
gether.  The  task  was  likely  to  be  a  long  one.  The 
late  broker's  affairs  were  in  a  muddled  state,  the 
books  were  anything  but  clear,  some  of  the  investments 
were  foreign,  and,  at  the  very  earliest,  months  must 
elapse  before  the  executor  and  trustee  could  know, 
for  certain,  just  how  large  a  property  he  was  in  charge 
of. 

He  found  some  solace  and  forgetfulness  of  the  un 
pleasant  life  he  was  leading  in  helping  the  stricken  Mori- 
arty  family.  Annie,  the  maid  at  the  apartment,  he 
swore  to  secrecy.  She  must  not  tell  Miss  Caroline  of 
his  visits  to  her  parents'  home.  Doctor  Henry,  also, 
though  he  could  not  understand  why,  promised  silence. 
Caroline  herself  had  engaged  his  services  in  the  case, 
and  he  was  faithful.  But  the  patient  was  more  seri 
ously  hurt  than  at  first  appeared,  and  consultations  with 
a  specialist  were  necessary. 

"  Coin'  to  be  a  pretty  expensive  job,  ain't  it,  Doctor  ?  " 
asked  the  captain  of  the  physician. 

"  Rather,  I'm  afraid." 

"  All  right.  If  expense  is  necessary,  don't  be  afraid 
138 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

of  it.     You  do  just  what  you'd  ought  to,  and  send  the 
bill  to  me." 

"  But  Miss  Warren  insisted  upon  my  sending  it  to 
her.  She  said  it  was  a  private  matter,  and  one  with 
which  you,  as  her  guardian,  had  nothing  to  do." 

"  I  know.  Caroline  intends  to  use  her  own  allow 
ance,  I  s'pose.  Well,  let  her  think  she  will,  if  'twill  please 
her.  But  when  it  comes  to  the  settlement,  call  on  me. 
Give  her  any  reason  you  want  to ;  say  a  —  er  —  wealthy 
friend  of  the  family  come  to  life  all  at  once  and  couldn't 
sleep  nights  unless  he  paid  the  costs." 

"  But  there  isn't  any  such  friend,  is  there,  Captain 
Warren?  Other  than  yourself,  I  mean?" 

Captain  Elisha  grinned  in  appreciation  of  a  private 
joke.  "  There  is  somebody  else,"  he  admitted,  "  who'll 
pay  a  share,  anyhow.  I  don't  know's  he's  what  you  call 
a  bosom  friend,  and,  as  for  his  sleepin'  nights  —  well, 
I  never  heard  he  couldn't  do  that,  after  he  went  to  bed. 
But,  anyhow,  you  saw  wood,  or  bones,  or  whatever  you 
have  to  do,  and  leave  the  rest  to  me.  And  don't  tell 
Caroline  or  anybody  else  a  word." 

The  Moriartys  lived  in  a  four-room  flat  on  the  East 
Side,  uptown,  and  his  visits  there  gave  the  captain  a 
glimpse  of  another  sort  of  New  York  life,  as  different^ 
from  that  of  Central  Park  West  as  could  well  be  im 
agined.  The  old  man,  Patrick,  his  wife,  Margaret,  the 
unmarried  son,  Dennis,  who  worked  in  the  gas  house, 
and  five  other  children  of  various  ages  were  hived 
somehow  in  those  four  small  rooms  and  Captain  Elisha 
marveled  greatly  thereat. 

"  For  the  land  sakes,  ma'am,"  he  asked  of  the  nurse, 

"  how  do  they  do  it  ?     Where  do  they  put  'em  nights  ? 

That  —  that  closet  in  there's  the  pantry  and  woodshed 

and  kitchen  and  dinin'  room;  and  that  one's  the  settin' 

10  .          139 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

room  and  parlor ;  and  them  two  dry-goods  boxes  with 
doors  to  'em  are  bedrooms.  There's  eight  livin'  cntters 
to  stow  away  when  it's  time  to  turn  in,  and  one  whole 
bed's  took  up  by  the  patient.  Where  do  they  put  the 
rest  ?  Hang  'em  up  on  nails  ?  " 

The  nurse  laughed.  "  Goodness  knows ! "  she  said. 
"  He  should  have  been  taken  to  the  hospital.  In  fact, 
the  doctor  and  I  at  first  insisted  upon  his  removal  there. 
He  would  have  been  much  better  off.  But  neither  he 
nor  his  wife  would  hear  of  it.  She  said  he  would  die 
sure  without  his  home  comforts." 

"  Humph !  I  should  think  more  likely  he'd  die  with 
'em,  or  under  'em.  I  watch  that  fleshy  wife  of  his  with 
fear  and  tremblin'.  Every  time  she  goes  nigh  the  bed 
I  expect  her  to  trip  over  a  young  one  and  fall.  And  if 
she  fell  on  that  poor  rack-o '-bones,"  with  a  wave  of  the 
hand  toward  the  invalid,  "  'twould  be  the  final  smash  — 
like  a  brick  chimney  fallin'  on  a  lath  hencoop." 

At  that  moment  the  "  brick  chimney  "  herself  entered 
the  room,  and  the  nurse  accosted  her. 

"  Captain  Warren  here,"  she  said,  "  was  asking  where 
you  all  found  sleeping  quarters." 

Mrs.  Moriarty  smiled  broadly.  "  Sure,  'tis  aisy,"  she 
explained.  "  When  the  ould  man  is  laid  up  we're  all 
happy  to  be  a  bit  uncomfortable.  Not  that  we  are, 
neither.  You  see,  sor,  me  and  Nora  and  Rosy  sleep  in 
the  other  bed;  and  Dinnie  has  a  bit  of  a  shakedown  in 
the  parlor;  and  Honora  is  in  the  kitchen;  and — " 

"  There !  there !  "  Captain  Elisha  interrupted  hastily, 
"  don't  tell  me  any  more.  I'd  rather  guess  that  the  baby 
bunks  in  the  cookstove  oven  than  know  it  for  sartin. 
How  did  the  grapes  I  sent  you  go  ?  "  turning  to  the  sick 
man. 

"  Aw,    sor !    they   were    foine.     God   bless   you,   sor ! 
140 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Mary  be  kind  to  you,  sor!     Sure  the  angels'll  watch  over 
you  every  day  you  live  and  breathe ! " 

Captain  Elisha  bolted  for  the  parlor,  the  sufferer  fir 
ing  a  gatling  fusillade  of  blessings  after  him.  Mrs.  Mo- 
riarty  continued  the  bombardment,  as  she  escorted  him 
to  the  door  of  the  flat. 

"  There !  there !  "  protested  the  captain.  "  Just  be 
lay  !  cut  it  short,  there's  a  good  woman !  I'll  admit  I'm 
a  saint  and  would  wear  a  halo  instead  of  a  hat  if  'twa'n't 
so  unfashionable.  Good  day.  If  you  need  anything  you 
ain't  got,  tell  the  nurse." 

The  grateful  Irish  woman  did  not  intend  to  let  him 
escape  so  easily. 

"  Aw,  sor,"  she  went  on,  "  it's  all  right  for  you  to 
make  fun.  I'm  the  jokin'  kind,  sor,  meself.  Whin  the 
flats  where  we  used  to  be  got  afire  and  Pat  had  to  lug 
me  down  the  fire  escape  in  his  arms,  they  tell  me  I  was 
laughin'  fit  to  kill ;  that  is,  when  I  wasn't  screechin'  for 
fear  he'd  drop  me.  And  him,  poor  soul,  never  seein' 
the  joke,  but  puffin'  and  groanin'  that  his  back  was  in 
two.  pieces.  Ha,  ha !  Oh,  dear !  And  him  in  two 
pieces  now  for  sure  and  all!  Aw,  sor,  it's  all  right  for 
you  to  laugh  it'  off,  but  what  would  we  do  without  you  ? 
You  and  Miss  Caroline,  God  bless  her ! " 

"  Caroline  ?     She  doesn't  come  here,  does  she  ?  " 

"  Indade  she  does.  Sure,  she's  the  perfect  little  lady ! 
Hardly  a  day  passes  —  or  a  week,  anyhow  —  that  she 
doesn't  drop  in  to  see  how  the  ould  man's  gettin'  on." 

"  Humph !  Well,  see  that  you  don't  tell  her  about 
me." 

Mrs.  Moriarty  held  up  both  hands  in  righteous  pro 
testation.  She  tell?  Might  the  tongue  of  her  wither 
between  her  teeth  before  it  let  slip  a  word,  and  so  on. 
Captain  Elisha  waved  her  to  silence. 

141 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  All  right !  all  right !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  So  long ! 
Take  good  care  of  your  husband,  and,  and  —  for  Heav 
en's  sake,  walk  careful  and  don't  step  on  any  of  the  chil 
dren." 

Mrs.  Moriarty's  tongue  did  not  wither;  at  all  events, 
it  was  lively  enough  when  he  next  met  her.  The  cap 
tain's  secret  was  not  divulged,  and  he  continued  his  vis 
its  to  the  flat,  taking  care,  however,  to  ascertain  his 
niece's  whereabouts  beforehand.  It  was  not  altogether 
a  desire  to  avoid  making  his  charitable  deeds  public  which 
influenced  him.  He  had  a  habit  of  not  letting  his  right 
hand  know  what  his  left  was  about  in  such  cases, 
and  he  detested  a  Pharisaical  philanthropist.  But  there 
was  another  reason  why  Caroline  must  not  learn  of  his 
interest  in  the  Moriartys.  If  she  did  learn  it,  she  would 
believe  him  to  be  helping  them  on  his  own  respon 
sibility;  or,  if  not,  that  he  was  using  money  belonging 
to  the  estate.  Of  course  he  would,  and  honestly  must, 
deny  the  latter  charge,  and,  therefore,  the  first  would, 
to  her  mind,  be  proven.  He  intended  that  Malcolm 
Dunn  should  pay  the  larger  share  of  the  bills,  as  was 
right  and  proper.  But  he  could  not  tell  Caroline  that, 
because  she  must  not  know  of  the  young  man's  respon 
sibility  for  the  accident.  He  could  not  give  Malcolm  the 
credit,  and  he  felt  that  he  ought  not  to  take  it  himself. 
It  was  a  delicate  situation. 

He  was  lonely,  and  the  days  seemed  long.  Reading 
the  paper,  walking  in  the  park,  occasionally  dropping  in 
at  the  lawyers'  offices,  or  visiting  the  shops  and  other 
places  of  interest  about  town  made  up  the  monotonous 
routine.  He  breakfasted  early,  waited  upon  by  Edwards, 
got  lunch  at  the  restaurant  nearest  to  wherever  he  hap 
pened  to  be  at  noon,  and  returned  to  the  apartment  for 
dinner.  His  niece  and  nephew  dined  with  him,  but 

142 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

when  he  attempted  conversation  they  answered  in  mono 
syllables  or  not  at  all.  Every  evening  he  wrote  a  letter 
to  Abbie,  and  the  mail  each  morning  brought  him  one 
from  her.  The  Dunns  came  frequently  and  seemed  dis 
posed  to  be  friendly,  but  he  kept  out  of  their  way  as 
much  as  possible. 

Pearson  he  had  not  seen  since  the  latter's  call.  This 
was  a  disappointment,  for  he  fancied  the  young  fellow 
and  believed  he  should  like  him  even  better  on  closer  ac 
quaintance.  He  would  have  returned  the  visit,  but  some 
how  or  other  the  card  with  the  boarding-house  street 
and  number  had  been  lost  or  mislaid,  and  the  long  list  of 
"  James  Pearsons "  in  the  directory  discouraged  him. 
He  speculated  much  concerning  the  mystery  at  which 
the  would-be  novelist  hinted  as  preventing  his  accepting 
Caroline's  invitation.  Evidently  Pearson  had  once 
known  Rodgers  Warren  well,  and  had  been  esteemed 
and  respected  by  the  latter.  Caroline,  too,  had  known 
him,  and  was  frankly  pleased  to  meet  him  again.  What 
ever  the  trouble  might  be,  she,  evidently,  was  ignorant  of 
it.  The  captain  wondered  and  pondered,  but  reached 
no  satisfactory  conclusion.  It  seemed  the  irony  of  fate 
that  the  one  congenial  person  —  Sylvester  excepted  — 
whom  he  had  met  during  his  stay  in  the  big  city  should 
be  scratched  from  his  small  list  of  acquaintances. 

With  Sylvester  he  held  many  familiar  and  enjoyable 
chats.  The  good-natured,  democratic  senior  member  of 
the  law  firm  liked  to  have  Captain  Elisha  drop  in  for  ad 
vice  or  to  spin  yarns.  Graves,  who  was  well  again,  re 
garded  the  new  guardian  with  respect  of  a  kind,  but  with 
distinct  disapproval.  The  captain  was,  in  his  opinion, 
altogether  too  flippant  and  jolly.  There  was  nothing  hu 
morous  in  the  situation,  as  Graves  saw  it,  and  to  laugh 
when  one's  brother's  estate  is  in  a  tangle,  indicated  un- 

H3 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

fitness,  if  nothing  worse.  Kuhn  was  a  sharp,  quick- 
moving  man,  who  had  no  time  for  frivolity  if  it  de 
layed  business. 

It  was  after  a  long  interview  with  Sylvester  that  Cap 
tain  Elisha  decided  to  send  Stephen  back  to  college. 
When  he  broke  the  news  there  was  rebellion,  brief  but 
lively.  Stephen  had  no  desire  to  continue  his  studies ; 
he  wished  to  become  a  stock  broker  at  once,  and,  as 
soon  as  he  was  of  age,  take  his  father's  seat  on  the  Ex 
change. 

"  Stevie,"  said  Captain  Elisha,  "  one  of  these  days, 
when  you  get  to  be  as  old  as  I  am  or  before,  you'll  real 
ize  that  an  education  is  worth  somethin'." 

"  Ugh  !  "  grunted  the  boy,  in  supreme  disgust.  "  What 
do  you  know  about  that  ?  " 

"  Why,  not  much,  maybe,  but  enough." 

"Yes?"  sarcastically.  "What  college  did  you  at 
tend?" 

"  Me  ?  Why,  none,  more's  the  pity.  What  learnin' 
there  was  in  our  family  your  dad  had.  Maybe  that's 
why  he  was  what  he  was,  so  fur  as  money  and  position 
and  society  and  so  on  went,  and  I'm  what  /  am." 

"  Oh,  rubbish !  What  difference  does  it  make  to  Mal 
colm  Dunn  —  now  —  his  going  through  college  ?  " 

"Well,  he  went,  didn't  he?" 

Stephen  grinned.  Malcolm  had  told  him  some  particu 
lars  concerning  his  university  career  and  its  termina 
tion. 

"  He  went  —  part  way,"  he  answered. 

"  Ya-as.  Well,  you've  gone  part  way,  so  fur.  And 
now  you'll  go  the  rest." 

"  I'd  like  to  know  why." 

"  For  one  reason,  because  I'm  your  guardian  and  I 
say  so." 

144 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Stephen  was  furiously  angry.  His  father's  indulgence 
and  his  sister's  tolerance  had,  in  most  cases,  made  his 
will  law  in  the  household.  To  be  ordered  about  in  this 
way  by  an  ignorant  interloper,  as  he  'considered  his 
uncle,  was  too  much. 

"  By  gad,"  he  shouted,  "  we'll  see !  " 

"  No,  we've  seen.  You  run  along  now  and  pack 
your  trunk.  And  take  my  advice  and  study  hard. 
You'll  be  behindhand  in  your  work,  so  Mr.  Sylvester 
tells  me,  but  you're  smart,  and  you  can  catch  up.  Make 
us  proud  of  you ;  that's  what  you  can  do." 

His  nephew  glanced  at  him.  Captain  Elisha  was  smil 
ing  kindly,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  change  of  purpose 
in  his  look. 

Stephen  ground  his  teeth. 

"Oh,"  he  snarled,  "if  it  wasn't  for  the  disgrace!  If 
things  weren't  as  they  are,  I'd — " 

"  S-s-s-h !  I  know  ;  but  they  are.  Maybe  I  wish  they 
wa'n't  'most  as  much  as  you  do,  but  they  are.  I  don't 
blame  you  for  feelin'  mad  now ;  but  I'm  right  and  I 
know  it.  And  some  day  you'll  know  it,  and  thank 
me." 

"  When  I  do,  I'll  be  insane." 

"  No,  you'll  be  older,  that's  all.  Now  pack  your  trunk 
—  or  get  the  Commodore  to  pack  it  for  you." 

News  from  the  Moriarty  sick  room  continued  favor 
able  for  a  time.  Then,  with  alarming  suddenness,  a 
change  came.  The  broken  hip  was  mending  slowly,  but 
poor  Pat's  age  was  against  him,  and  the  shock  and  long 
illness  were  too  much  for  his  system  to  fight.  Dr.  Henry 
shook  his  head  dubiously  when  the  captain  asked 
questions.  And,  one  morning  at  breakfast,  Edwards  in 
formed  him  that  the  old  man  was  dead.  Annie  had 

145 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

been  summoned  by  telephone  at  midnight  and  had  gone 
home. 

Captain  Elisha,  though  not  greatly  surprised,  was 
shocked  and  grieved.  It  seemed  such  a  needless  trag 
edy,  almost  like  murder,  although  there  was  no  malice 
in  it.  And  the  thought  of  the  fatherless  children  and 
the  poverty  of  the  stricken  family  made  him  shudder. 
Death  at  any  time,  amid  any  surroundings,  is  terrible ; 
when  the  dead  hands  have  earned  the  bread  for  many 
mouths  it  is  appalling. 

The  captain  dreaded  visiting  the  flat,  but  because  he 
felt  it  to  be  a  duty  he  went  immediately.  And  the  mis 
ery  and  wailing  and  dismay  he  found  there  were  worse 
than  his  anticipations.  He  did  his  best  to  comfort  and 
cheer.  Mrs.  Moriarty  alternately  called  upon  the  saints 
to  bless  him  and  begged  to  know  what  she  would  do  now 
that  they  were  all  sure  to  starve.  Luckily,  the  family 
priest,  a  kind-hearted,  quiet  man  who  faced  similar 
scenes  almost  every  day  of  his  life,  was  there,  and  Cap 
tain  Elisha  had  a  long  talk  with  him.  With  Dennis,  the 
oldest  son,  and  Annie,  the  maid  at  the  Warrens',  he  also 
consulted.  Money  for  their  immediate  needs,  he  told 
them,  he  would  provide.  And  the  funeral  expenses 
must  not  worry  them.  Afterward  —  well,  plans  for  the 
future  could  be  discussed  at  another  time.  But  upon 
Dennis  and  Annie  he  tried  to  impress  a  sense  of  their 
responsibility. 

"  It's  up  to  you,  Boy,"  he  said  to  the  former.  "  An 
nie's  job's  sure,  I  guess,  as  long  as  she  wants  it,  and  she 
can  give  her  mother  somethin'  every  month.  But  you're 
the  man  of  the  house  now,  and  you've  got  to  steer  the 
ship  and  keep  it  afloat.  That  means  work,  and  hard 
work,  lots  of  it,  too.  You  can  do  it,  if  you've  got  the 
grit.  If  I  can  find  a  better  place  and  more  pay  for  you, 

146 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

I  will,  but  you  mustn't  depend  on  that.  It's  up  to  you, 
I  tell  you,  and  you've  got  to  show  what's  in  you.  If  you 
get  stuck  and  need  advice,  come  to  me." 

He  handed  the  priest  a  sum  of  money  to  cover  imme 
diate  contingencies,  and  departed.  His  letter  to  Abbie 
that  afternoon  was  so  blue  that  the  housekeeper  felt  sure 
he  was  "  coming  down "  with  some  disease  or  other. 
He  had  been  riding  in  that  awful  subway,  where  the  air 
—  so  the  papers  said  —  was  not  fit  to  breathe,  and  just  as 
like  as  not  he'd  caught  consumption.  His  great-uncle 
on  his  mother's  side  died  of  it,  so  it  "  run  in  the  family." 
Either  he  must  come  home  or  she  should  come  to  him, 
one  or  the  other. 

But  before  evening  his  blueness  had  disappeared.  He 
had  just  returned  to  his  room,  after  stepping  into  the 
hall  to  drop  his  letter  in  the  mail  chute,  when  his  niece 
knocked  at  the  door.  He  was  surprised  to  see  her,  for 
she  had  not  spoken  to  him,  except  in  brief  reply  to  ques 
tions,  since  their  misunderstanding  in  that  very  room. 
He  looked  at  her  wonderingly,  not  knowing  what  to  say 
or  what  to  expect;  but  she  spoke  first. 

"  Captain  Warren,"  she  began,  hurriedly,  "  the  last 
time  I  came  to  you  —  the  last  time  I  came  here,  I  came 
to  ask  a  favor,  and  you  —  I  thought  you  — " 

She  was  evidently  embarrassed  and  confused.  Her 
guardian  was  embarrassed,  also,  but  he  tried  to  be  hos 
pitable. 

"  Yes,  Caroline,"  he  said,  gravely,  "  I  know  what 
you  mean.  Won't  you  —  won't  you  sit  down  ?  " 

To  his  surprise,  she  accepted  the  invitation,  taking  the 
same  chair  she  had  taken  on  the  occasion  of  their  former 
interview.  But  there  was  a  look  in  her  eyes  he  had 
never  seen  there  before;  at  least,  not  when  she  was  ad 
dressing  him. 

H7 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

She  went  on,  speaking  hastily,  as  though  determined 
to  head  off  any  questioning  on  his  part. 

"  Captain  Warren,"  she  began  once  more,  "  the  time 
I  came  to  you  in  this  room  you  were,  so  I  thought,  un 
reasonable  and  unkind.  I  asked  you  for  money  to  help 
a  poor  family  in  trouble,  and  you  refused  to  give  it  to 
me." 

"  No,  Caroline,"  he  interrupted,  "  I  didn't  refuse,  you 
only  thought  I  did." 

She  held  up  her  hand.  "  Please  let  me  go  on,"  she 
begged.  "  I  thought  you  refused,  and  I  couldn't  under 
stand  why.  I  was  hurt  and  angry.  I  knew  that  father 
never  would  have  refused  me  under  such  circumstances, 
and  you  were  his  brother.  But  since  then,  only  to-day, 
I  have  learned  that  I  was  wrong.  I  have  learned — " 

She  paused.  The  captain  was  silent.  He  was  be 
ginning  to  hope,  to  believe  once  more  in  his  judgment 
of  character;  and  yet,  with  his  hope  and  growing  joy, 
there  was  a  trifle  of  anxiety. 

"  I  have  learned,"  went  on  his  niece,  "  that  I  was  mis 
taken.  I  can't  understand  yet  why  you  wished  to  wait 
before  saying  yes,  but  I  do  know  that  it  must  have  been 
neither  because  you  were  unkind  nor  ungenerous.  I  have 
just  come  from  those  poor  people,  and  they  have  told 
me  everything." 

Captain  Elisha  started.  "  What  did  they  tell  you  ?  " 
he  asked,  quickly.  "  Who  told  you  ?  " 

"  Annie  and  her  mother.  They  told  me  what  you  had 
done  and  were  doing  for  them.  How  kind  you  had  been 
all  through  the  illness  and  to-day.  Oh,  I  know  you 
made  them  promise  not  to  tell  me ;  and  you  made  the  doc 
tor  and  nurse  promise,  too.  But  I  knew  someone  had 
helped,  and  Annie  dropped  a  hint.  Then  I  suspected, 
and  now  I  know.  Those  poor  people !  " 

148 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

The  captain,  who  had  been  looking  at  the  floor,  and 
frowning  a  bit,  suddenly  glanced  up  to  find  his  niece's 
eyes  fixed  upon  him,  and  they  were  filled  with  tears. 

"Will  you  forgive  me?"  she  asked,  rising  from  her 
chair,  and  coming  impulsively  toward  him.  "  I'm  sorry 
I  misjudged  you  and  treated  you  so.  You  must  be  a 
very  good  man.  Please  forgive  me." 

He  took  her  hand,  which  was  swallowed  up  in  his 
big  one.  His  eyes  were  moist,  also. 

"  Lord  love  you,  dearie,"  he  said,  "  there's  nothin'  to 
forgive.  I  realized  that  I  must  have  seemed  like  a  mean, 
stingy  old  scamp.  Yet  I  didn't  mean  to  be.  I  only 
wanted  to  look  into  this  thing  just  a  little.  Just  as  a 
matter  of  business,  you  know.  And  I  ...  Caro 
line,  did  that  doctor  tell  you  anything  more  ? " 

"  Any  more  ?  "  she  repeated  in  bewilderment.  "  He 
told  me  that  you  were  the  kindest  man  he  had  ever 
seen." 

"  Yes,  yes.  Well,  maybe  his  eyesight's  poor.  What 
I  mean  is  did  he  tell  you  anything  about  anybody  else 
bein'  in  this  with  me  ?  " 

"  Anybody  else  ?     What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Oh,  nothin',  nothin'.  I  joked  with  him  a  spell  ago 
about  a  wealthy  relation  of  the  Moriarty  tribe  turnin' 
up.  'Twas  only  a  joke,  of  course.  And  yet,  Caroline, 
I  —  I  think  I'd  ought  to  say — " 

He  hesitated.  What  could  he  say?  Even  a  hint 
might  lead  to  embarrassing  questions  and  he  had  prom 
ised  Dunn. 

"What  ought  you  to  say?"  asked  his  niece. 

"  Why,  nothin',  I  guess.  I'm  glad  you  understand 
matters  a  little  better  and  I  don't  intend  for  the  estate  nor 
you  to  pay  these  Moriarty  bills.  Just  get  'em  off  your 
mind.  Forget  'em.  I'll  see  that  everything's  attended 

149 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

to.  And,  later  on,  if  you  and  me  can,  by  puttin'  our 
heads  together,  help  those  folks  to  earnin'  a  better  livin', 
why,  we  will,  hey  ?  " 

The  girl  smiled  up  at  him.  "  I  think,"  she  said,  "  that 
you  must  be  one  who  likes  to  hide  his  light  under  a 
bushel." 

"  I  guess  likely  a  two-quart  measure'd  be  plenty  big 
enough  to  hide  mine.  There!  there!  We  won't  have 
any  more  misunderstandin's,  will  we  ?  I'm  a  pretty  green 
vegetable  and  about  as  out  of  place  here  as  a  lobster  in 
a  balloon,  but,  as  I  said  to  you  and  Steve  once  before, 
if  you'll  just  remember  I  am  green  and  sort  of  rough, 
and  maybe  make  allowances  according  this  cruise  of  ours 
may  not  be  so  unpleasant.  Now  you  run  along  and  get 
ready  for  dinner,  or  the  Commodore'll  petrify  from 
standin'  so  long  behind  your  chair." 

She  laughed,  as  she  turned  to  go.  "  I  should  hate  to 
have  him  do  that,"  she  said.  "  He  would  make  a  de 
pressing  statue.  I  shall  see  you  again  in  a  few  min 
utes,  at  dinner.  Thank  you  —  Uncle." 

She  left  Captain  Elisha  in  a  curious  state  of  mind. 
Against  his  will  he  had  been  forced  to  accept  thanks 
and  credit  which,  he  believed,  did  not  rightfully  belong 
to  him.  It  was  the  only  thing  to  do,  and  yet  it  seemed 
almost  like  disloyalty  to  Malcolm  Dunn.  This  troubled 
him,  but  the  trouble  was,  just  then,  a  mere  pinhead  of 
blackness  against  the  radiance  of  his  spirit. 

His  brother's  daughter  had,  for  the  first  time,  called 
him  uncle. 


CHAPTER  X 

CAPTAIN  WARREN,"  asked  Caroline,  as 
they  were  seated  at  the  breakfast  table  next 
morning,  "  what  are  your  plans  for  to-day  ?  " 

Captain  Elisha  put  down  his  coffee  cup  and  pulled  his 
beard  reflectively.  Contrary  to  his  usual  desire  since  he 
came  to  the  apartment  to  live,  he  was  in  no  hurry  to  finish 
the  meal.  This  breakfast  and  the  dinner  of  the  previous 
evening  had  been  really  pleasant.  He  had  enjoyed  them. 
His  niece  had  not  called  him  uncle  again,  it  is  true,  and 
perhaps  that  was  too  much  to  be  expected  as  yet,  but 
she  was  cheerful  and  even  familiar.  They  talked  as  they 
ate,  and  he  had  not  been  made  to  feel  that  he  was  the 
death's  head  at  the  feast.  The  change  was  marked  and 
very  welcome.  The  bright  winter  sunshine  streaming 
through  the  window  indicated  that  the  conditions  outside 
were  also  just  what  they  should  be. 

"  Well,"  he  replied,  with  a  smile,  "  I  don't  know,  Caro 
line,  as  I've  made  any  definite  plans.  Let's  see,  to-day's 
Sunday,  ain't  it  ?  Last  letter  I  got  from  Abbie  she  sailed 
into  me  because,  as  she  said,  I  seemed  to  have  been  'most 
everywheres  except  to  meetin'.  She  riggers  New  York's 
a  heathen  place,  anyhow,  and  she  cal'lates  I'm  gettin'  to 
be  a  backslider  like  the  rest.  I  didn't  know  but  I  might 
go  to  church." 

Caroline  nodded.  "  I  wondered  if  you  wouldn't  like 
to  go,"  she  said.  "  I  am  going,  and  I  thought  perhaps 
you  would  go  with  me." 

Her  uncle  had  again  raised  his  cup  to  his  lips.     Now 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

he  set  it  down  with  a  suddenness  which  caused  the  stat 
tiesque  Edwards  to  bend  forward  in  anticipation  of  a 
smash.     The   captain   started   to    speak,   thought   better 
of  it,  and  stared  at  his  niece  so  intently  that  she  colored 
and  dropped  her  eyes. 

"  I  know,"  she  faltered,  "  that  I  haven't  asked  you 
before,  but  —  but — "  then,  with  the  impulsiveness  which 
was  one  of  her  characteristics,  and  to  her  guardian  her 
great  charm,  she  looked  him  full  in  the  face  and  added, 
"  but  I  hoped  you  would  understand  that  —  that  /  under 
stood  a  little  better.  I  should  like  to  have  your  company 
very  much." 

Captain  Elisha  drew  a  long  breath. 

"  Thank  you,  Caroline,"  he  answered.  "  I  appreciate 
your  askin'  me,  I  sartinly  do.  And  I'd  rather  go  with 
you  than  anybody  else  on  earth.  But  I  was  cal'latin'  to 
hunt  up  some  little  round-the-corner  chapel,  or  Bethel, 
where  I'd  feel  a  little  bit  at  home.  I  guess  likely  your 
church  is  a  pretty  big  one,  ain't  it  ?  " 

"  We  attend  Saint  Denis.  It  is  a  large  church,  but 
we  have  always  been  connected  with  it.  Stephen  and  I 
were  christened  there.  But,  of  course,  if  you  had  rather 
go  somewhere  else — *' 

"  No,  no !  I  hadn't  anywhere  in  particular  to  go. 
I'm  a  Congregationalist  to  home,  but  Abbie  says  I've 
spread  my  creed  so  wide  that  it  ain't  more'n  an  inch 
deep  anywhere,  and  she  shouldn't  think  'twould  keep  me 
afloat.  I  tell  her  I'd  rather  navigate  a  broad  and  shal 
low  channel,  where  everybody  stands  by  to  keep  his 
neighbor  off  the  shoals,  than  I  would  a  narrow  and 
crooked  one  with  self-righteousness  off  both  beams  and 
perdition  underneath. 

"  You  see,"  he  added,  reflectively,  "  the  way  I  look  at 
it,  it's  a  pretty  uncertain  cruise  at  the  best.  Course 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

there's  all  sorts  of  charts,  and  every  fleet  is  sartin  it's 
got  the  only  right  one.  But  I  don't  know.  We're  afloat 
—  that  much  we  are  sure  of  —  but  the  port  we  left  and 
the  harbor  we're  bound  for,  they're  always  out  of  sight 
in  the  fog  astern  and  ahead.  I  know  lots  of  folks  who 
claim  to  see  the  harbor,  and  see  it  plain;  but  they  don't 
exactly  agree  as  to  what  they  see.  As  for  me,  I've  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  we  must  steer  as  straight  a  course 
as  we  can,  and  when  we  meet  a  craft  in  distress,  why, 
do  our  best  to  help  her.  The  rest  of  it  I  guess  we  must 
leave  to  the  Owner,  to  the  One  that  launched  us.  I 
.  .  .  Good  land !  "  he  exclaimed,  coming  out  of  his 
meditation  with  a  start,  "  I'm  preachin'  a  sermon  ahead 
of  time.  And  the  Commodore's  goin'  to  sleep  over  it,  I 
do  believe." 

The  butler,  who  had  been  staring  vacantly  out  of  the 
window  during  the  captain's  soliloquy,  straightened  at 
the  sound  of  his  nickname,  and  asked  hastily,  "  Yes,  sir  ? 
What  will  you  have,  sir  ?  "  Captain  Elisha  laughed  in 
huge  enjoyment,  and  his  niece  joined  him. 

"Well,"  she  said,  "will  you  go  with  me?" 

"  I'd  like  to  fust-rate  —  if  you  won't  be  too  much 
ashamed  of  me." 

"  Then  it's  settled,  isn't  it  ?  The  service  begins  at  a 
quarter  to  eleven.  We  will  leave  here  at  half-past  ten." 

The  captain  shaved  with  extra  care  that  morning, 
donned  spotless  linen,  including  a  "  stand-up  "  collar  — 
which  he  detested  —  brushed  his  frock-coat  and  his  hair 
with  great  particularity,  and  gave  Edwards  his  shoes  to 
clean.  He  would  have  shined  them  himself,  as  he  al 
ways  did  at  home,  but  on  a  former  occasion  when  he 
asked  for  the  "  blackin'  kit,"  the  butler's  shocked  and 
pained  expression  led  to  questions  and  consequent  en 
lightenment. 

153 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  was  ready  by  a  quarter  after  ten,  but  when  his 
niece  knocked  at  his  door  she  bore  a  message  which  sur 
prised  and  troubled  him. 

"  Mrs.  Dunn  called,"  she  said,  "  to  ask  me  to  go  to 
church  with  her.  I  told  her  I  had  invited  you  to  ac 
company  me.  Would  you  mind  if  she  joined  us  ?  " 

Her  guardian  hesitated.  "  I  guess,"  he  answered, 
slowly,  "  it  ain't  so  much  a  question  of  my  mindin'  her 
as  she  mindin'  me.  Does  she  want  me  to  go  along  ?  " 

"  She  said  she  should  be  delighted." 

"  I  want  to  know !  Now,  Caroline,  don't  you  think 
I'd  be  sort  of  in  the  way?  Don't  you  believe  she'd  man 
age  to  live  down  her  disappointment  if  I  didn't  tag  on? 
You  mustn't  feel  that  you've  got  to  be  bothered  with  me 
because  you  suggested  my  goin',  you  know." 

"  If  I  had  considered  it  a  bother  I  should  not  have  in 
vited  you.  If  you  don't  wish  Mrs.  Dunn's  company, 
then  you  and  I  will  go  alone." 

"  Oh,  land  sakes !  I  wouldn't  have  you  do  that  for  the 
world!  All  right,  I'll  be  out  in  a  jiffy." 

He  gave  his  hair  a  final  brush,  straightened  his  tie, 
turned  around  once  more  before  the  mirror,  and  walked 
fearfully  forth  to  meet  the  visitor.  For  him,  the  antici 
pated  pleasure  of  the  forenoon  had  been  replaced  by  un 
easy  foreboding. 

But  Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn,  as'  she  rose  creakingly  to 
greet  him,  was  extremely  gracious.  She  was  gowned  and 
furred  and  hatted  in  a  manner  which  caused  the  captain 
to  make  hasty  mental  estimate  as  to  cost,  but  she  ex 
tended  a  plump  hand,  buttoned  in  a  very  tight  glove,  and 
murmured  her  gratification. 

"  I'm  so  glad  you  are  to  accompany  us,  Captain  War 
ren,"  she  gushed.  "  It  is  a  charming  winter  nWning, 
isn't  it?" 

154 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Captain  Elisha  touched  the  plump  glove  with  his  own 
big  finger  tips,  and  admitted  that  the  morning  was  "  fust- 
rate."  He  was  relieved  from  the  embarrassment  of  fur 
ther  conversation  just  then  by  Caroline's  appearance  in 
the  library.  She,  too,  was  richly  dressed. 

"  Are  we  all  ready  ? "  she  asked,  brightly.  "  Then 
we  may  as  well  start." 

"  I'm  afraid  we're  a  trifle  early,  my  dear,"  said  Mrs. 
Dunn,  "  but  we  can  stroll  about  a  bit  before  we  go  in." 

The  captain  looked  at  the  library  clock.  The  time  was 
a  quarter  to  eleven. 

"  Early  ? "  he  exclaimed,  involuntarily.  "  Why,  I 
thought  Caroline  said  — " 

He  stopped,  suddenly,  realizing  that  he  had  spoken 
aloud.  His  niece  divined  his  thought  and  laughed  mer 
rily. 

"  The  service  does  begin  now,"  she  said,  "  but  no  one  is 
ever  on  time." 

"  Oh! "  ejaculated  her  uncle,  and  did  not  speak  again 
until  they  were  at  the  door  of  the  church.  Then  Caro 
line  asked  him  what  he  was  thinking. 

"  Nothin'  much,"  he  answered,  gazing  at  the  fashion 
ably  garbed  throng  pouring  under  the  carved  stone  arch 
©f  the  entrance ;  "  I  was  just  reorganizin'  my  ideas, 
that's  all.  I've  always  sort  of  thought  a  plug  hat 
looked  lonesome.  Now  I've  decided  that  I'm  wearin' 
the  lonesome  kind." 

He  marched  behind  his  niece  and  Mrs.  Dunn  up  the 
center  aisle  to  the  Warren  pew.  He  wrote  his  house 
keeper  afterwards  that  he  estimated  ,that  aisle  to  be 
"  upwards  of  two  mile  long.  And  my  Sunday  shoes  had 
a  separate  squeak  for  every  inch,"  he  added. 

Once  seated,  however,  and  no  longer  so  conspicuous, 
his  common  sense  and  Yankee  independence  came  to  his 
11  155 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

rescue.  He  had  been  in  much  bigger  churches  than  this 
one,  while  abroad  during  his  seagoing  years.  He  knew 
that  his  clothes  were  not  fashionably  cut,  and  that,  to 
the  people  about  him,  he  must  appear  odd  and,  perhaps, 
even  ridiculous.  But  he  remembered  how  odd  certain 
city  people  appeared  while  summering  at  South  Denboro. 
Recollections  of  pointed  comments  made  by  boatmen 
who  had  taken  these  summer  sojourners  on  fishing  excur 
sions  came  to  his  mind.  Well,  he  had  one  advantage 
over  such  people,  at  any  rate,  he  knew  when  he  was  ri 
diculous,  and  they  apparently  did  not. 

So,  saved  from  humiliation  by  his  sense  of  humor,  he 
looked  about  him  with  interest.  When  the  procession  of 
choir  boys  came  up  the  aisle,  and  Mrs.  Dunn  explained 
in  a  condescending  whisper  what  they  were,  his  answer 
surprised  her  a  trifle.  "  Yes,"  whispered  the  captain  in 
reply,  "  I  know.  I've  seen  the  choir  in  Saint  Peter's  at 
Rome." 

Only  once  did  he  appear  greatly  astonished.  That  was 
when  the  offering  was  taken  and  a  certain  dignified  mag 
nate,  whose  fame  as  a  king  of  finance  is  world-wide, 
officiated  as  one  of  the  collectors. 

"  Heavens  and  earth  !  "  murmured  Captain  Elisha,  star 
ing  wide-eyed  at  the  unmistakable  features  so  often  pic 
tured  and  cartooned  in  the  daily  papers ;  "  Caroline  — 
Caroline,  am  I  seein'  things  or  is  that  —  is  that  — " 

"  That  is  Mr. ,"  whispered  his  niece.  "  He  is  one 

of  the  vestrymen  here." 

"My  soul!"  still  gazing  after  the  Emperor  of  Wall 
Street ;  "  him  passin'  the  plate !  Well,"  with  a  grim 
smile,  "  whoever  picked  him  out  for  the  job  has  got 
judgment.  If  he  can't  make  a  body  shell  out,  nobody 
can." 

He  listened  to  the  sermon,  the  text  of  which  was  from 
156 


V 

CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

the  Beatitudes,  with  outward  solemnity,  but  with  a  twin 
kle  in  his  eye.  After  the  benediction,  when  Caroline 
asked  how  he  enjoyed  it,  the  cause  of  the  twinkle  be 
came  apparent." 

"  Fine !  "  he  declared,  with  enthusiasm.  "  He's  a 
smart  preacher,  ain't  he!  And  he  knew  his  congrega 
tion.  You  might  not  guess  they  was  meek  perhaps, 
but  they  certainly  did  look  as  if  they'd  inherited  the 
earth." 

He  drew  a  breath  of  relief  as  the  trio  emerged  into 
the  open  air.  He  had  enjoyed  the  novel  experience,  in 
a  way,  but  now  he  felt  rather  like  one  let  out  of  jail. 
The  quiet  luncheon  at  home  with  Caroline  was  a  pleasant 
anticipation. 

But  Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn  smashed  his  anticipation  at 
a  blow.  She  insisted  that  he  and  his  niece  lunch  with 
her. 

"  You  really  must,  you  know,"  she  declared.  ,  "  It  will 
be  delightful.  Just  a  little  family  party." 

Captain  Elisha  looked  distressed.  "  Thank  you, 
ma'am,"  he  stammered ;  "  it's  awful  kind  of  you,  but  I 
wouldn't  feel  right  to  go  puttin'  you  to  all  that  trouble. 
Just  as  much  obliged,  but  I  —  I've  got  a  letter  to  write, 
you  see." 

Mrs.  Dunn  bore  his  refusal  bravely. 

"  Very  well,"  she  said,  "  but  Caroline  must  come  with 
me.  I  told  Malcolm  I  should  bring  her." 

"  Sure !     Sartin !     Caroline    can   go,   of    course." 

But  Caroline  also  declined.  Having  misjudged  her 
guardian  in  the  matter  of  the  Moriarty  family,  she  was 
in  a  repentant  mood,  and  had  marked  that  day  on  her 
calendar  as  one  of  self-sacrifice." 

"  No,  Captain  Warren,"  she  said,  "  I  shall  not  go  un 
less  you  do." 

157 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Then  the  captain  will  come,  of  course,"  declared  Mrs. 
Dunn,  with  decision.  "  I'm  sure  he  will  not  be  so  self 
ish  as  to  deprive  me  —  and  Malcolm  —  of  your  com 
pany." 

So,  because  he  did  not  wish  to  appear  selfish,  Captain 
Elisha  admitted  that  his  letter  might  be  written  later  in 
the  afternoon,  accepted  the  invitation,  and  braced  his 
spirit  for  further  martyrdom. 

It  was  not  as  bad  as  he  expected.  The  Dunns  occu 
pied  a  small,  brown-stone  house  on  Fifth  Avenue,  some 
what  old-fashioned,  but  eminently  respectable.  The 
paintings  and  bronzes  were  as  numerous  as  those  in  the 
Warren  apartment,  and  if  the  taste  shown  in  their  se 
lection  was  not  that  of  Rodgers  Warren,  the  connois 
seur,  they  made  quite  as  much  show,  and  the  effect  upon 
Captain  Elisha  was  the  same.  The  various  mortgages 
on  the  property  were  not  visible,  and  the  tradesmen's 
bills  were  securely  locked  in  Mrs.  Dunn's  desk. 

The  luncheon  itself  was  elaborate,  and  there  was  a 
butler  whose  majestic  dignity  and  importance  made  even 
Edwards  seem  plebeian  by  comparison. 

Malcolm  was  at  home  when  they  arrived,  irreproach 
ably  dressed  and  languidly  non-effusive,  as  usual.  Cap 
tain  Elisha,  as  he  often  said,  did  not  "  set  much  store  " 
by  clothes ;  but  there  was  something  about  this  young 
man  which  always  made  him  conscious  that  his  own 
trousers  were  a  little  too  short,  or  his  boots  too  heavy, 
or  something.  "  I  wouldn't  wear  a  necktie  like  his,"  he 
wrote  Abbie,  after  his  first  meeting  with  Malcolm,  "  but 
blessed  if  I  don't  wish  I  could  if  I  would !  " 

Caroline,  in  the  course  of  conversation  during  the 
luncheon,  mentioned  the  Moriartys  and  their  sorrow. 
The  captain  tried  to  head  her  off  and  to  change  the  sub 
ject,  but  with  little  success.  He  was  uncomfortable  and 

158 


kept  glancing  under  his  brows  at  Malcolm,  with  whom, 
under  the  circumstances,  he  could  not  help  sympathizing 
to  an  extent.  But  his  sympathy  was  wasted.  The 
young  man  did  not  appear  in  the  slightest  degree  nervous. 
The  memory  of  his  recent  interview  with  Captain  Elisha 
did  not  embarrass  him,  outwardly  at  least,  half  as  much 
as  it  did  the  captain.  He  declared  that  old  Pat's  death 
was  beastly  hard  luck,  but  accidents  were  bound  to  hap 
pen.  It  was  a  shame,  and  all  that.  "  If  there's  any 
thing  the  mater  and  I  can  do,  Caroline,  call  on  us,  of 
course." 

"  Yes,  do,  Caroline,"  concurred  his  mother.  "  How 
ever,  one  must  be  philosophic  in  such  cases.  It  is  a 
mercy  that  people  in  their  station  do  not  feel  grief  and 
loss  as  we  do.  Providence,  in  its  wisdom,  has  limited 
their  susceptibilities  as  it  has  their  intelligence.  Don't 
you  agree  with  me,  Captain  Warren  ?  " 

"  Sartin !  "  was  the  prompt  reply.  "  It's  always  a 
comfort  to  me,  when  I  go  fishin',  to  know  that  the  fish 
ain't  got  so  much  brains  as  I  have.  The  hook  hurts,  I 
presume  likely,  but  they  ain't  got  the  sense  to  realize 
what  a  mean  trick's  been  played  on  'em.  The  one  that's 
caught's  dead,  and  them  that  are  left  are  too  busy  hustlin' 
for  the  next  meal  to  waste  much  time  grievin'.  That 
eases  my  conscience  consider'ble." 

Caroline  seemed  to  be  the  only  one  who  appreciated 
the  sarcasm  in  this  observation.  She  frowned  slightly. 
Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn  tolerantly  smiled,  and  her  son 
laughed  aloud. 

"  Say,  Admiral,"  he  commented,  "  when  it  comes  to 
philosophy  you  go  some  yourself,  don't  you?  " 

"  Um-hm.  I  can  be  as  philosophical  about  other  folk's 
troubles  as  anybody  I  ever  see."  Then,  with  an  invol 
untary  chuckle  of  admiration  at  the  young  gentleman's 

159 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

coolness,  he  added,  "  That  is,  anybody  I  ever  see  afore 
I  come  to  New  York." 

Malcolm  opened  his  mouth  to  reply,  but  closed  it 
again.  The  captain,  noticing  his  change  of  purpose  and 
following  the  direction  of  his  look,  saw  Mrs.  Dunn  shake 
her  head  in  sharp  disapproval.  He  ate  the  remainder 
of  his  salad  in  silence,  but  he  thought  a  good  deal. 

"  And  now,"  said  Mrs.  Dunn,  rising  and  leading  the 
way  to  the  drawing-room,  "  we  must  all  go  for  a  motor 
ride.  Everyone  rides  on  Sunday  afternoon,"  she  ex 
plained,  turning  to  her  male  guest. 

The  distressed  look  returned  to  Captain  Elisha's  face. 
His  niece  saw  it,  understood,  and  came  to  his  rescue. 

"  I  think  Captain  Warren  prefers  to  be  excused,"  she 
said,  smiling.  "  He  has  a  prejudice  against  automo 
biles." 

"  No ! "  drawled  Malcolm,  the  irrepressible.  "  Not 
really?  Admiral,  I'm  surprised!  In  these  days,  you 
know ! " 

"  It  ain't  so  much  the  automobiles,"  snapped  Captain 
Elisha,  irritation  getting  the  better  of  his  discretion, 
"  as  'tis  the  devilish  fools  that  — " 

"Yes?     Oh,  all  right,  Mater." 

"  That  are  careless  enough  to  get  in  the  way  of  them," 
finished  the  captain,  with  surprising  presence  of  mind. 
"  Still,  if  Caroline  wants  to  go — " 

"  I  have  it ! "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Dunn.  "  The  young 
people  shall  go,  and  the  others  remain  at  home.  Mal 
colm  shall  take  you  for  a  spin,  Caroline,  and  Captain 
Warren  and  I  will  stay  here  and  wait  until  you  return. 
We'll  have  a  family  chat,  Captain,  won't  we  ?  Because," 
with  a  gay  laugh,  "  in  a  way  we  are  like  one  family,  you 
see." 

And,  somewhat  to  Miss  Warren's  surprise,  her  uncle 
160 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

agreed  to  this  proposition.  He  did  not  answer  imme 
diately,  but,  when  he  did,  it  was  with  heartiness. 

"Why,  yes,"  he  said,  "that's  a  good  idea.  That's 
fust-rate.  You  young  folks  go,  and  Mrs.  Dunn  and  I'll 
wait  here  till  you  come  back.  That's  the  way  of  the 
world  —  young  folks  on  the  go,  and  the  old  folks  at 
home  by  the  fire,  hey,  Mrs.  Dunn  ?  " 

The  lady  addressed  did  not  relish  being  numbered  with 
"  old  folks,"  but  she  smiled  sweetly,  and  said  she  sup 
posed  it  was.  Malcolm  telephoned  to  the  garage  and  to 
Edwards  at  the  Warren  apartment,  ordering  the  butler 
to  deliver  his  mistress's  auto  cap  and  cloak  to  the  chauf 
feur,  who  would  call  for  them.  A  few  minutes  later  the 
yellow  car  rolled  up  to  the  door. 

In  the  hall  Mrs.  Dunn  whispered  a  reassuring  word 
to  her  departing  guest. 

"  Now  enjoy  yourself,  dear,"  she  whispered.  "  Have 
a  nice  ride  and  don't  worry  about  me.  If  he  —  if  our 
encumbrance  bores  me  too  much  I  shall  —  well,  I  shall 
plead  a  headache  and  leave  him  to  his  own  devices.  Be 
sides,  he  isn't  so  very  dreadful,  is  he?  " 

Caroline  shook  her  head.  "  No,"  she  answered,  "  he 
is  a  good  man.  I  understand  him  better  than  I  did  and 
—  yes,  I  like  him  better,  too." 

"  Oh !  .  .  .  Indeed !  Well,  good-by,  dear.  Good- 
by." 

The  yellow  car  roared  as  the  chauffeur  cranked  it, 
then  moved  off  up  the  crowded  avenue.  Mrs.  Dunn 
watched  it  until  it  was  out  of  sight.  Her  brows  were 
drawn  together,  and  she  seemed  puzzled  and  just  a  bit 
disconcerted.  However,  when  she  returned  to  the  draw 
ing-room,  her  gracious  smile  had  returned,  and  her  bland 
condescension  was  again  in  evidence. 

Captain  Elisha  had  been  standing  by  the  window. 
161 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

She  begged  him  to  be  seated.  He  thanked  her,  but 
looked  dubiously  at  the  Louis  XVI  chair  indicated.  She 
noticed  the  look. 

"  Suppose  we  go  into  the  library,"  she  said.  "  It  is 
much  less  formal.  And  there  is  a  fire  —  for  us  old 
folks,"  with  a  slight  accent  ojn  the  word. 

The  library  was  more  homelike.  Not  as  many  books 
as  at  the  Warrens',  but  a  great  deal  of  gilt  in  the  bindings 
and  much  carving  on  the  cases.  The  fire  was  cheery, 
and  the  pair  sat  down  before  it  in  big  easy  chairs.  Mrs. 
Dunn  looked  intently  at  the  glowing  coals. 

Captain  Elisha  cleared  his  throat.  Mrs.  Dunn  leaned 
forward  expectantly.  The  captain  coughed  and  sank 
back  in  his  chair. 

"  Yes  ?  "  purred  the  lady.     "  You  were  about  to  say  ?  " 

"  Me?     Oh,  no,  I  didn't  say  anything." 

Another  period  of  silence.  Mrs.  Dunn's  foot  tapped 
the  rug  impatiently.  She  wished  him  to  begin  the  con 
versation,  and  he  would  not.  At  length,  in  desperation, 
she  began  it  herself. 

"  I  suppose  you  find  New  York  rather  different  from  — 
er  —  North  —  er  — " 

"  From  South  Denboro  ?     Yes,  ma'am." 

"  Do  you  like  the  city  life  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  don't  know,  ma'am." 

"  Not  as  well  as  you  do  that  of  the  country,  doubt 
less." 

"  Well,  you  see,  I  ain't  had  so  much  of  it." 

"  No,  of  course  not.  It  does  so  depend  upon  what 
one  is  accustomed  to.  Now  I  fancy  I  should  be  perfectly 
desperate  in  your  village." 

One  corner  of  Captain  Elisha's  mouth  curled  upward. 

"  I  shouldn't  be  surprised,"  he  admitted. 

"  Desperately  lonely,  I  mean." 
162 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Yes'm.  I  judged  that  was  what  you  meant.  Still, 
folks  can  be  lonesome  in  New  York." 

"  Perhaps.  But  really  I  don't  see  how.  With  all  the 
whirl  and  the  crowds  and  the  glorious  excitement.  The 
feeling  that  one  is  at  the  very  heart,  the  center  of  every 
thing  ! " 

"  Yes.  If  you  belong  to  the  machinery,  I  s'pose  it's 
all  right.  But  if  you've  been  leanin'  over  the  rail,  lookin' 
on,  and  get  pushed  in  unexpected,  maybe  you  don't  care 
so  much  about  bein'  nigh  the  center." 

"  Then  why  stay  there  ?    Why  not  get  out  ?  " 

"  If  you're  caught  in  the  wheels,  gettin'  out's  some- 
thin'  of  a  job." 

"  But,  as  I  understand  it,  Captain  Warren  —  I  may 
be  misinformed,  for,  of  course,  I  haven't  been  unduly 
curious  concerning  your  family  affairs  —  as  /  understand 
it,  you  were  not  obliged  to  remain  among  the  —  among 
the  wheels,  as  you  call  them.  You  could  have  gotten 
out  quite  easily,  couldn't  you?" 

"  I  presume  likely  I  could.  But,  you  see,  ma'am,  I 
had  a  feelin'  that  I'd  ought  to  stay." 

Mrs.  Dunn  laughed  lightly.  "  Ah  me !  "  she  exclaimed ; 
"  you  felt  it  your  duty,  I  suppose.  Oh,  you  New  Eng 
land  Puritans ! " 

She  shook  her  head  in  playful  mockery.  Then  she 
added,  "  But,  at  all  events,  it  cannot  be  so  very  dis 
agreeable  —  now.  I  have  no  doubt  it  was  —  well,  not 
comfortable  for  you  at  first.  Steve  and  Caroline  were 
quite  impossible  —  really  quite  furious.  Your  sudden 
appearance  in  the  capacity  of  guardian  was  too  much  for 
them.  They  were  sure  you  must  be  a  perfect  ogre,  Cap 
tain.  I  had  to  use  all  my  eloquence  to  convince  them 
they  would  not  be  devoured  alive.  But  now  —  what  a 
change  !  Why,  already  Caroline  accepts  you  as  —  well, 

163 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

almost  like  an  old  friend,  like  myself.  In  the  last  few 
days  this  change  in  her  attitude  is  quite  marked.  What 
have  you  done  ?  Are  you  a  wizard  ?  Do  tell  me !  " 

This  appeal,  delivered  with  eloquence  and  most  en 
gaging  play  of  brow  and  eye,  should  have  been  irresisti 
ble.  Unfortunately  the  captain  did  not  appear  to  have 
heard  it.  Leaning  forward,  his  hands  clasped  between 
his  knees,  he  was  gazing  into  the  fire.  And  when  he 
spoke,  it  was  as  if  he  were  thinking  aloud. 

"  I  s'pose  'tis  a  sort  of  disease,  this  duty  business,"  he 
mused.  "  And  most  diseases  ain't  cheerful  visitations. 
Still  a  feller  ought  not  to  growl  about  it  in  public.  I  al 
ways  did  hate  for  a  man  to  be  goin'  about  forever  com- 
plainin'  of  his  sufferin's  —  whether  they  was  from  duty 
or  rheumatiz." 

Mrs.  Dunn's  lips  snapped  shut.  She  pressed  them  to 
gether  impatiently.  Evidently  her  questions,  and  their 
diplomatic  prelude,  had  been  unheard  and  wasted. 
However,  she  did  not  intend  to  be  sidetracked  or  dis 
couraged. 

"  One  should  not  prate  of  one's  duty,  of  course,"  she 
agreed.  "  Not  that  you  do  —  far  from  it.  But,  as  I  was 
saying,  our  dear  Caroline  has — " 

"  Thank  you,  ma'am.  I  hope  I  don't  groan  too  loud. 
Do  you  know,  I  believe  climate  has  a  bearin'  on  duty, 
same  as  it  has  on  rheumatics.  I  s'pose  you  city  folks  — " 
and  there  was  almost  contempt  in  the  words  — "  are  sort 
of  Christian  Science,  and  figger  it's  an  '  error '  —  hey  ? 
Somethin'  to  be  forgot." 

The  iady  resented  the  interruption,  and  the  contempt 
nettled  her. 

"  Not  at  all !  "  she  retorted.  "  We  city  dwellers  have 
our  duties,  also." 

"  Is  that  a  fact  ?     I  want  to  know !  " 

164 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Certainly  it  is  a  fact,"  tartly.  "  I  have  my  duties 
and  many  of  them." 

"  Um !  So  ?  Well,  I  s'pose  you  do  feel  you  must 
dress  just  so,  and  live  just  so,  and  do  just  such  and  suck 
things.  If  you  call  those  duties,  why  — " 

"  I  do.     What  else  are  they,  pray  ?  " 

Mrs.  Dunn  was  finding  it  difficult  to  keep  her  temper. 
To  be  catechised  in  this  contemptuously  lofty  manner 
by  one  to  whom  she  considered  herself  so  immensely 
superior,  was  too  much.  She  forgot  the  careful  plan  of 
campaign  which  she  had  intended  to  follow  in  this  inter 
view,  and  now  interrupted  in  her  turn.  And  Captain 
Elisha,  who  also  was  something  of  a  strategist,  smiled 
at  the  fire. 

"  We  do  have  our  social  duties,  our  duties  to  society," 
snapped  the  widow,  hotly.  "  They  are  necessary  ones. 
Having  been  born  —  or  risen  to  —  a  certain  circle,  we 
recognize  the  responsibilities  attached  to  it.  We  are 
careful  with  whom  we  associate ;  we  have  to  be.  As  for 
dress,  we  dress  as  others  of  our  friends  do." 

"  And  maybe  a  little  better,  if  you  can,  hey  ?  " 

"If  we  can  —  yes.  I  presume — "  with  crushing 
irony  — "  dress  in  South  Denboro  counts  but  little." 

"  You  wouldn't  say  that  if  you  ever  went  to  sewin' 
circle,"  with  a  chuckle.  "  Still,  compared  to  the  folks  at 
your  meetin'-house  this  morning,  our  congregation  would 
look  like  a  flock  of  blackbirds  alongside  of  a  cage  full  of 
Birds  of  Paradise.  But  most  of  us  —  the  women  folks 
especial  —  dress  as  well  as  we  can." 

"  As  well  as  you  can  !  "  triumphantly.  "  There !  you 
see  ?  And  you  live  as  well  as  you  can,  don't  you  ?  " 

"  If  you  mean  style,  why,  we  don't  set  as  much  store 
by  it  as  you  do." 

"  Nonsense !  We  are  obliged  to  be,"  with  a  slight 
165 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

shudder  at  the  vulgarism,  "stylish.  If  we  should  lapse, 
if  we  should  become  shabby  and  behind  the  fashion  or 
live  in  that  way,  people  would  wonder  and  believe  it  was 
because  we  could  not  afford  to  do  otherwise." 

"  Well,  s'pose  they  did,  you'd  know  better  yourselves. 
Can't  you  be  independent  ?  " 

"  No.  Not  unless  you  are  very,  very  rich ;  then  it 
might  be  considered  an  eccentricity.  Independence  is  a 
costly  luxury,  and  few  can  afford  it." 

"  But  suppose  you  can't  afford  the  other  thing?  " 

"  Then  we  must  pretend  we  can.  Oh,  you  don't  un 
derstand!  So  much  depends  upon  a  proper  appearance. 
Everything  depends  upon  it  —  one's  future,  one's  chil 
dren's  future  —  everything." 

"  Humph !  "  with  the  same  irritating  smile,  "  I  should 
think  that  might  mean  some  plannin'.  And  plans,  the 
best  of  'em,  are  likely  to  go  wrong.  You  talk  about  the 
children  in  your  —  in  what  you  call  your  *  circle.'  How 
can  you  plan  what  they'll  do?  You  might  when  they  was 
little,  perhaps ;  but  when  they  grow  up  it's  different." 

"  It  is  not.  It  can't  be !  And,  if  they  have  been  prop 
erly  reared  and  understand  their  responsibilities,  they  plan 
with  you." 

"  Land  sakes !  You  mean  —  why,  s'pose  they  take  a 
notion  to  get  married?  I'm  an  old  bach,  of  course,  but 
the  average  young  girl  or  feller  i:  subject  to  that  sort  of 
ailment,  'cordin'  to  the  records.  S'pose  one  of  your 
circle's  daughters  gets  to  keepin'  company  with  a  chap 
who's  outside  the  ring?  A  promisin',  nice  boy  enough, 
but  poor,  and  a  rank  outsider?  Mean  to  say  she  sha'n't 
marry  him  if  she  wants  to." 

"  Certainly !  That  sort  of  marriage  is  never  a  happy 
one,  unless,  of  course,  the  girl  is  wealthy  enough  not  to 
care.  And  even  then  it  is  not  advisable.  All  their  cus- 

166 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

toms  and  habits  of  thought  are  different.  No!  Em 
phatically,  no !  And  the  girl,  if  she  is  sensible  and  well 
reared,  as  I  have  said,  will  understand  it  is  impossible." 

"  My  soul  and  body !  Then  you  mean  to  tell  me  that 
she  must  look  out  for  some  chap  in  her  crowd?  If  she 
ain't  got  but  just  enough  to  keep  inside  the  circle  —  this 
grand  whirlamagig  you're  tellin'  me  about  —  if  she's  pre- 
tendin'  up  to  the  limit  of  her  income  or  over,  then  it's  her 
duty,  and  her  ma  and  pa's  duty,  to  set  her  cap  for  a  man 
who's  nigher  the  center  pole  in  the  tent  and  go  right  after 
him  ?  Do  you  tell  me  that  ?  That's  a  note,  I  must  say  !  " 

Mrs.  Dunn's  foot  beat  a  lively  tattoo  on  the  rug.  "  I 
don't  know  what  you  mean  by  a  '  note,' "  she  commented, 
with  majestic  indignation.  "  I  have  not  lived  in  South 
Denboro,  and  perhaps  my  understanding  of  English  is  de 
fective.  But  marriages  among  cultivated  people,  society 
people,  intelligent,  ambitious  people  are,  or  should  be, 
the  result  of  thought  and  planning.  Others  are  impossi 
ble  ! " 

"  How  about  this  thing  we  read  so  much  about  in 
novels  ?  —  Love,  I  believe  they  call  it." 

"  Love !  Love  is  well  enough,  but  it  does  not,  of  it 
self,  pay  for  proper  clothes,  or  a  proper  establishment, 
or  seats  at  the  opera,  or  any  of  the  practical,  necessary 
things  of  modern  life.  You  can't  keep  up  a  presentable 
appearance  on  love!  If  I  had  a  daughter  who  lacked  the 
brains  to  understand  what  I  had  taught  her,  that  is,  her 
duty  as  a  member  of  good  society,  and  talked  of  making 
a  love  match,  I  would  .  .  .  But  there!  You  can't 
understand,  I  suppose." 

She  rose  and  shook  the  wrinkles  from  her  gown.  Cap 
tain  Elisha  straightened  in  his  chair.  "  Why,  yes, 
ma'am,"  he  drawled,  quietly ;  "  yes,  ma'am,  I  guess  I  un 
derstand  fust-rate." 

167 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

And  suddenly  Mrs.  Dunn  also  understood.  Her  face, 
which  had  grown  almost  too  red  for  one  attached  to  a 
member  of  polite  society,  grew  redder  still.  She  turned 
away  and  walked  to  the  window. 

"  What  nonsense  we've  been  talking ! "  she  said,  after 
a  moment's  silence.  "  I  don't  see  what  led  us  into  this 
silly  discussion.  Malcolm  and  your  niece  must  be  having 
a  delightful  ride.  I  almost  wish  I  had  gone  with  them." 

She  did  wish  it,  devoutly.  Captain  Elisha  still  re 
mained  by  the  fire. 

"  Automobiles  are  great  things  for  hustlin'  around  in," 
ke  observed.  "  Pity  they're  such  dangerous  playthings. 
Yet  I  s'pose  they're  one  of  the  necessities  of  up-to-date 
folks,  same  as  you  said,  Mrs.  Dunn." 

"  Surely,"  she  asked  coldly,  "  you  don't  condemn  au 
tomobiles,  Captain  Warren  ?  What  would  you  —  return 
to  stage  coaches  ?  " 

"  Not  a  mite!  But  I  was  thinkin'  of  that  poor  Mori- 
arty  man." 

"  His  death  was  due  to  an  accident.  And  accidents/' 
she  turned  and  looked  directly  at  him,  "  when  they  in- 
yolve  financial  damages,  may  be  paid  for." 

The  captain  nodded.     "  Yes,"  he  said. 

"  And  when  arrangements  for  such  payment  is  made, 
honorable  people  —  at  least,  in  the  circle  of  which  you 
and  I  have  been  speaking  —  consider  the  matter  settled 
and  do  not  refer  to  it  again,  either  among  themselves  — 
or  elsewhere." 

"  Yes,  ma'am."  He  nodded  again.  She  did  know ; 
Malcolm,  evidently,  had  told  her.  "  Yes,  ma'am.  That's 
the  way  any  decent  person  would  feel  —  and  act  —  if  such 
a  thing  happened  —  even  if  they  hailed  from  South  Den- 
boro." 

He  pushed  back  his  chair  and  stood  up.  She  continued 
168 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

to  look  him  over,  much  as  if  she  were  taking  a  mental  in 
ventory  of  his  character,  or  revising  an  old  one. 

"  I  hope,"  she  said,  lightly,  but  with  deliberation,  "  our 
little  argument  and  —  er  —  slight  disagreement  concern 
ing  —  er  —  duty  will  not  make  us  enemies,  Captain  War 
ren." 

"  Enemies !  Land  sakes,  no !  I  respect  anybody's 
havin'  opinions  and  not  bein'  afraid  to  give  'em.  And  I 
think  I  can  understand  some  of  how  you  feel.  Maybe 
if  I  was  anchored  here  on  Fifth  Avenue,  same  as  you  are, 
instead  of  bein'  blown  in  by  an  unexpected  no'theaster, 
I'd  be  feelin'  the  same  way.  It's  all  according  as  I've 
said  so  often.  Enemies  ?  No,  indeed !  " 

She  laughed  again.  "  I'm  so  glad !  "  she  said.  "  Mal 
colm  declares  he'd  be  quite  afraid  of  me  —  as  an  enemy. 
He  seems  to  think  I  possess  some  mysterious  and  quite 
diabolical  talent  for  making  my  un-friends  uncomfort 
able,  and  declares  he  would  compromise  rather  than  fight 
me  at  any  time.  Of  course  it's  ridiculous  —  just  one  of 
his  jokes  —  and  I'm  really  harmless  and  very  much 
afraid.  That's  why  I  want  you  and  me  to  be  friends, 
Captain  Warren." 

"  Sure !  "  Captain  Elisha  nodded  emphatically.  "  That's 
what  I  want,  too." 

But  that  evening,  immediately  after  his  return  to  the 
apartment,  when  —  Caroline  having  gone  to  her  own 
room  to  remove  her  wraps  —  he  and  the  butler  were 
alone,  he  characteristically  unburdened  his  mind. 

"  Mr.  Warren,  sir,"  said  Edwards,  "  a  young  gentle 
man  left  a  note  here  for  you  this  afternoon.  The  ele 
vator  man  gave  it  to  me,  sir.  It's  on  your  dressing 
table,  sir." 

The  captain's  answer  had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with 
the  note.  He  had  been  thinking  of  other  things. 

169 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Commodore,"  he  said,  "  I've  got  the  answer." 

"  To  the  note  ?  Already,  sir  ?  I  didn't  know  you'd 
seen  it." 

"  I  ain't.  I've  got  the  answer  to  the  conundrum. 
It's  Mother ! " 

"  Mother,  sir?     I  —  I  don't  know  what  you  mean." 

"  I  do.  The  answer's  Mother.  Sonny  don't  count, 
though  he  may  think  he  does.  But  Mother's  the  whole 
team  and  the  dog  under  the  wagon.  And,  Commodore, 
we've  got  to  trot  some  if  we  want  to  keep  ahead  of  that 
team !  Don't  you  forget  it !  " 

He  went  to  his  room,  leaving  the  bewildered  butler  to 
retire  to  the  kitchen,  where  he  informed  the  cook  that 
the  old  man  was  off  his  head  worse  than  common  to 
night. 

"  Blessed  if  he  don't  think  he's  a  trotting  horse !  " 
said  Edwards. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  note  on  the  dining  room  table  proved,  to  the 
captain's  delight,  to  be  from  James  Pearson.  It 
was  brief  and  to  the  point. 

"  Why  don't  you  come  and  see  me  ? "  wrote  the 
young  man.  "  I've  been  expecting  you,  and  you  prom 
ised  to  come.  Have  you  forgotten  my  address?  If  so, 
here  it  is.  I  expect  to  be  in  all  day  to-morrow." 

The  consequence  of  this  was  that  eleven  o'clock  the 
next  day  found  Captain  Elisha  pulling  the  bell  at  a 
brick  house  in  a  long  brick  block  on  a  West  Side  street. 
The  block  had  evidently  been,  in  its  time,  the  homes  of 
well-to-do  people,  but  now  it  was  rather  dingy  and  gone 
to  seed.  Across  the  street  the  first  floors  were,  for  the 
most  part,  small  shops,  and  in  the  windows  above  them 
doctors'  signs  alternated  with  those  of  modistes,  mani 
cure  artists,  and  milliners. 

The  captain  had  come  a  roundabout  way,  stopping  in 
at  the  Moriarty  flat,  where  he  found  Mrs.  Moriarty  in 
a  curious  state  of  woe  and  tearful  pride.  "  Oh,  what 
will  I  do,  sir  ?  "  she  moaned.  "  When  I  think  he's  gone, 
it  seems  as  if  I'd  die,  too.  But,  thanks  to  you  and  Miss 
Warren  —  Mary  make  it  up  to  her !  —  my  Pat'll  have 
the  finest  funeral  since  the  Guinny  saloon  man  was 
buried.  Ah,  if  he  could  have  lived  to  see  it,  he'd  have 
died  content ! " 

The  pull  at  the  boarding-house  bell  was  answered  by  a 
rather  slatternly  maid,  who  informed  the  visitor  that 
she  guessed  Mr.  Pearson  was  in;  he  'most  always  was 
12  171 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

around  lunch  time.  So  Captain  Elisha  waited  in  a  typi 
cal  boarding-house  parlor,  before  a  grate  with  no  fire 
in  it  and  surrounded  by  walnut  and  plush  furniture,  until 
Pearson  himself  came  hurrying  downstairs. 

"  Say,  you're  a  brick,  Captain  Warren ! "  he  declared, 
as  they  shook  hands.  "  I  hoped  you'd  come  to-day. 
Why  haven't  you  before?" 

The  captain  explained  his  having  mislaid  the  ad 
dress. 

"  Oh,  was  that  it  ?  Then  I'm  glad  I  reminded  you. 
Rather  a  cheeky  thing  to  do,  but  I've  been  a  reporter, 
and  nerve  is  necessary  in  that  profession.  I  began  to  be 
afraid  living  among  the  blue-bloods  had  had  its  effect, 
and  you  were  getting  finicky  as  to  your  acquaintances." 

"  You  didn't  believe  any  such  thing." 

"Didn't  I?  Well,  perhaps  I  didn't.  Come  up  to  my 
room.  I  think  we  can  just  about  squeeze  in,  if  you 
don't  mind  sitting  close." 

Pearson's  room  was  on  the  third  flight,  at  the  front  of 
the  house.  Through  the  window  one  saw  the  upper  half 
of  the  buildings  opposite,  and  above  them  a  stretch  of 
sky.  The  bed  was  a  small  brass  and  iron  affair,  but 
the  rest  of  the  furniture  was  of  good  quality,  the  chairs 
were  easy  and  comfortable,  and  the  walls  were  thickly 
hung  with  photographs,  framed  drawings,  and  prints. 

"  I  put  those  up  to  cover  the  wall  paper,"  explained 
the  host.  "  I  don't  offer  them  as  an  art  collection,  but 
as  a  screen.  Sit  down.  Put  your  coat  on  the  bed. 
Shall  I  close  the  window?  I  usually  keep  the  upper 
half  open  to  let  out  the  pipe  smoke.  Otherwise  I  might 
not  be  able  to  navigate  without  fog  signals." 

His  visitor  chuckled,  followed  directions  with  his 
coat  and  hat,  and  sat  down.  Pearson  took  the  chair  by 
the  small  flat-topped  desk. 

172 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  How  about  that  window  ? "  he  asked.  "  Shall  1 
shut  it?" 

"  No,  no !  We'll  be  warm  enough,  I  guess.  You've 
got  steam  heat,  I  see." 

"  You  mean  you  hear.  Those  pipes  make  noise 
enough  to  wake  the  dead.  At  first  I  thought  I  couldn't 
sleep  because  of  the  racket  they  made.  Now  I  doubt 
if  I  could  without  it.  Would  you  consider  a  cigar,  Cap 
tain?" 

"  Hum !  I  don't  usually  stop  to  consider.  But  I  tell 
you,  Jim  —  just  now  you  said  something  about  a  pipe. 
I've  got  mine  aboard,  but  I  ain't  dared  to  smoke  it  since 
I  left  South  Denboro.  If  you  wouldn't  mind — " 

"  Not  a  bit.  Tobacco  in  this  jar  on  the  desk.  I 
keep  a  temporary  supply  in  my  jacket  pocket.  Matches  ? 
Here  you  are !  What  do  you  think  of  my  —  er  —  state 
room  ?  " 

"  Think  it  makes  nice,  snug  quarters,"  was  the  prompt 
answer. 

"  Humph !  Snug  is  a  good  word.  Much  like  living 
in  an  omnibus,  but  it  answers  the  purpose.  I  furnished 
it  myself,  except  for  the  bed.  The  original  bureau  had 
pictures  of  cauliflowers  painted  on  each  drawer  front. 
Mrs.  Hepton  —  my  landlady  —  was  convinced  that  they 
were  roses.  I  told  her  she  might  be  right,  but,  at  all 
events,  looking  at  them  made  me  hungry.  Perhaps  she 
noticed  the  effect  on  my  appetite  and  was  willing  for  me 
to  substitute." 

The  captain  laughed.  Then,  pointing,  he  asked: 
"  What's  that  handbill  ?  " 

The  "  handbill "  was  a  fair-sized  poster  announcing 
the  production  at  the  "  Eureka  Opera  House "  of  the 
"  Thrilling  Comedy-Drama,  The  Golden  Gods."  Pear 
son  looked  at  it,  made  a  face,  and  shook  his  head. 

173 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  That,"  he  said,  "  is  my  combined  crusher  and  com 
forter.  It  is  the  announcement  of  the  first,  and  next  to 
the  last,  performance  of  a  play  I  wrote  in  my  calf  days. 
The  '  Eureka  Opera  House  '  is  —  or  was,  if  the  '  gods  ' 
weren't  too  much  for  it  —  located  at  Daybury,  Illinois. 
I  keep  that  bill  to  prevent  my  conceit  getting  away  with 
me.  Also,  when  I  get  discouraged  over  my  novel,  it  re 
minds  me  that,  however  bad  the  yarn  may  turn  out  to 
be,  I  have  committed  worse  crimes." 

This  led  to  the  captain's  asking  about  the  novel  and 
how  it  was  progressing.  His  companion  admitted  hav 
ing  made  some  progress,  more  in  the  line  of  revision 
than  anything  else.  He  had  remodeled  his  hero  some 
what,  in  accordance  with  his  new  friend's  suggestions 
during  their  interview  at  the  Warren  apartment,  and 
had  introduced  other  characters,  portrait  sketches  from 
memory  of  persons  whom  he  had  known  in  his  boyhood 
days  in  the  Maine  town.  He  read  a  few  chapters  aloud, 
and  Captain  Elisha  waxed  almost  enthusiastic  over 
them. 

Then  followed  a  long  discussion  over  a  point  of 
seamanship,  the  handling  of  a  bark  in  a  gale.  It  devel 
oped  that  the  young  author's  knowledge  of  saltwater 
strategy  was  extensive  and  correct  in  the  main,  though 
somewhat  theoretical.  That  of  his  critic  was  based 
upon  practice  and  hard  experience.  He  cited  this  skip 
per  and  that  as  examples,  and  carried  them  through 
no'theasters  off  Hatteras  and  typhoons  in  the  Indian 
Ocean.  The  room,  in  spite  of  the  open  window,  grew 
thick  with  pipe  smoke,  and  the  argument  was  punctuated 
by  thumps  on  the  desk  and  chair  arms,  and  illustrated 
by  diagrams  drawn  by  the  captain's  forefinger  on  the 
side  of  the  dresser.  The  effects  of  oil  on  breaking  roll 
ers,  the  use  of  a  "  sea-anchor  "  over  the  side  to  "  hold 

174 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

her  to  it,"  whether  or  not  a  man  was  justified  in  aban 
doning  his  ship  under  certain  given  circumstances,  these 
were  debated  pro  and  con.  Always  Pearson's  "  Uncle 
Jim "  was  held  up  as  the  final  authority,  the  paragon 
of  sea  captains,  by  the  visitor,  and,  while  his  host  pre 
tended  to  agree,  with  modest  reservations,  in  this  esti 
mate  of  his  relative,  he  was  more  and  more  certain  that 
his  hero  was  bound  to  become  a  youthful  edition  of 
Elisha  Warren  himself  —  and  he  thanked  the  fates  which 
had  brought  this  fine,  able,  old-school  mariner  to  his 
door. 

At  length,  Captain  Elisha,  having  worked  "  Uncle 
Jim  "  into  a  safe  harbor  after  a  hundred  mile  cruise  un 
der  jury  jig,  with  all  hands  watch  and  watch  at  the 
pumps,  leaned  forward  in  triumph  to  refill  his  pipe. 
Having  done  so,  his  eyes  remained  fixed  upon  a  photo 
graph  standing,  partially  hidden  by  a  leather  collar  box, 
upon  the  dresser.  He  looked  at  it  intently,  then  rose 
and  took  it  in  his  hand. 

"  Well,  I  swan !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Either  what  my 
head's  been  the  fullest  of  lately  has  struck  to  my  eye 
sight,  or  else  —  why,  say,  Jim,  that's  Caroline,  ain't 
it?" 

Pearson  colored  and  seemed  embarrassed.  "  Yes,"  he 
answered,  "  that  is  Miss  Warren." 

"  Humph !  Good  likeness,  too !  But  what  kind  of 
rig  has  she  got  on?  I've  seen  her  wear  a  good  many 
dresses  —  seems  to  have  a  different  one  for  every  day, 
pretty  nigh  —  but  I  never  saw  her  in  anything  like  that. 
Looks  sort  of  outlandish;  like  one  of  them  foreign  girls 
at  Geneva  —  or  Leghorn,  say." 

"  Yes.  That  is  an  Italian  peasant  costume.  Miss 
Warren  wore  it  at  a  fancy  dress  ball  a  year  ago." 

"Want  to  know!     I-talian  peasant,  hey!     Fifth  Ave- 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

nue  peasant  with  diamonds  in  her  hair.     Becomin'   to 
her,  ain't  it." 

"  I  thought  so." 

"  Yup.  She  looks  pretty  enough!  But  she  don't 
need  diamonds  nor  hand-organ  clothes  to  make  her 
pretty." 

Then,  looking  up  from  the  photograph,  he  asked, 
"  Give  you  this  picture,  did  she?  " 

His  friend's  embarrassment  increased.  "  No,"  he 
answered  shortly.  Then,  after  an  instant's  hesitation. 
"  That  ball  was  given  by  the  Astorbilts  and  was  one  of 
the  most  swagger  affairs  of  the  season.  The  Planet  — 
the  paper  with  which  I  was  connected  —  issues  a  Sun 
day  supplement  of  half-tone  reproductions  of  photo 
graphs.  One  page  was  given  up  to  pictures  of  the  ball 
and  the  costumes  worn  there." 

"  I  see.  Astonishin'  how  folks  do  like  to  get  their 
faces  into  print.  I  used  to  know  an  old  woman  — 
Aunt  Hepsibah  Tucker,  her  name  was  —  she's  dead 
now.  The  pride  of  Aunt  Hepsy's  heart  was  that  she 
took  nineteen  bottles  of  'Balm  of  Burdock  Tea*  and 
the  tea  folks  printed  her  picture  as  a  testimonial  that 
she  lived  through  it.  Ho,  ho!  And  society  big-bugs 
appear  to  have  the  same  cravin'." 

"  Some  of  them  do.  But  that  of  your  niece  was  ob 
tained  by  our  society  reporter  from  the  photographer 
who  took  it.  Bribery  and  corruption,  of  course.  Miss 
Warren  would  have  been  at  least  surprised  to  see  it 
in  our  supplement.  I  fancied  she  might  not  care  for  so 
much  publicity  and  suppressed  it." 

"  Um-hm.  Well,  I  guess  you  did  right.  I'll  thank 
you  for  her.  By  the  way,  I  told  Caroline  where  I  was 
cal'latin'  to  go  this  mornin',  and  she  wished  to  be  remem 
bered  to  you." 

176 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Pearson  seemed  pleased,  but  he  made  no  comment. 
Captain  Elisha  blew  a  smoke  ring  from  his  pipe. 

"  And  say,  Jim,"  he  added,  embarrassed  in  his  turn, 
"  I  hope  you  won't  think  I'm  interferin'  in  your  affairs, 
but  are  you  still  set  against  comin'  up  to  where  I  live? 
'I  know  you  said  you  had  a  reason,  but  are  you  sure  it's 
a  good  one  ?  " 

He  waited  for  an  answer  but  none  came.  Pearson 
was  gazing  out  of  the  window.  The  captain  looked  at 
his  watch  and  rose. 

"  I  guess  I'll  have  to  be  goin',"  he  said.  "  It's  after 
twelve  now." 

His  host  swung  around  in  his  chair.  "  Sit  down, 
Captain,"  he  said.  "  I've  been  doing  a  lot  of  thinking 
since  I  saw  you,  and  I'm  not  sure  about  that  reason.  I 
believe  I'll  ask  your  advice.  It  is  a  delicate  matter,  and 
it  involves  your  brother.  You  may  see  it  as  he  did, 
and,  if  so,  our  friendship  ends,  I  suppose.  But  I'm  go 
ing  to  risk  it." 

"  Mr.  Rodgers  Warren  and  I,"  he  went  on,  "  were 
well  acquainted  during  the  latter  part  of  my  newspaper 
work.  I  was  financial  man  on  the  Planet,  and  some 
articles  I  wrote  took  your  brother's  fancy.  At  all 
events,  he  wrote  me  concerning  them  in  highly  compli 
mentary  terms  and  asked  me  to  call  and  see  him  at  his 
office.  I  did  so  and  —  well,  we  became  very  friendly, 
so  much  so  that  he  invited  me  to  his  house.  I  dined 
there  several  times,  was  invited  to  call  often,  and  —  I 
enjoyed  it.  You  see,  I  had  few  friends  in  the  city,  out 
side  my  journalistic  acquaintances,  and  I  suppose  I  was 
flattered  by  Mr.  Warren's  kindness  and  the  fancy  he 
seemed  to  have  taken  to  me.  And  I  liked  Miss  War 
ren  —  no  one  could  help  that  —  and  I  believed  she  liked 
me." 

177 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  She  does  like  you,"  interrupted  his  companion,  with 
surprise.  "  Caroline's  a  good  girl." 

"  Yes,  she  is.  However,  she  isn't  in  this  story,  ex 
cept  as  a  side-issue.  At  this  time  my  ambitions  were 
for  a  newspaper  career,  and  I  thought  I  was  succeeding. 
And  her  father's  marked  interest  and  the  things  he  said 
to  me  promised  more  than  an  ordinary  success.  He 
was  a  well  known  man  on  the  street,  and  influential.  So 
my  head  began  to  swell,  and  I  dreamed  —  a  lot  of  fool 
ishness.  And  then — " 

He  paused,  put  down  his  empty  pipe,  and  sighed. 

"  Well,  then,"  he  continued,  "  came  the  upset.  I 
judged  from  what  you  said  at  our  previous  conversa 
tion,  Captain,  that  you  were  well  enough  acquainted  with 
Wall  Street  to  know  that  queer  operations  take  place 
there.  Did  you  read  about  the  South  Shore  Trolley 
business?  " 

Captain  Elisha  considered.  "  Why,  yes,"  he  said, 
slowly,  "  seem's  if  I  did.  One  of  those  consolidations 
with  '  holdin'  companies '  and  franchises  and  exten 
sions  and  water  by  the  hogshead.  Wa'n't  that  it?  I  re 
member  now ;  the  Boston  papers  had  considerable  about 
it,  and  I  presume  likely  the  New  York  ones  had  more. 
One  of  those  all-accordin'-to-law  swindles  that  sprout 
same  as  toadstools  in  a  dark  place,  but  die  out  if  the 
light's  turned  on  too  sudden.  This  one  didn't  come  to 
nothin'  but  a  bad  smell,  if  I  remember  right." 

"  You  do.  And  I  suppose  I'm  responsible  for  the 
smell.  I  got  wind  of  the  thing,  investigated,  found  out 
something  of  what  was  going  on,  and  printed  a  prelim 
inary  story  in  the  Planet.  It  caused  a  sensation." 

He  paused  once  more.  Captain  Elisha,  for  the  sake 
of  saying  something,  observed,  "  I  shouldn't  wonder." 

"  It  certainly  did.  And  the  morning  on  which  it  ap- 
178 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

peared,  Mr.  Rodgers  Warren  'phoned  me.  He  wished 
to  see  me  at  once.  I  went  down  to  his  office.  Captain, 
I  dislike  to  tell  you  this.  Mr.  Warren  was  your 
brother." 

"  I  know  he  was.  And  I'm  his  executor.  Both  those 
reasons  make  me  'specially  anxious  to  have  you  tell  me 
the  truth.  Heave  ahead  now,  to  oblige  me." 

"  Well,  I  found  him  very  polite  and  cordial,  at  first. 
He  said  that  a  ridiculous  and  sensational  story  con 
cerning  the  Trolley  Combine  had  appeared  in  the 
Planet,  and  he  would  like  to  have  me  contradict  it  and 
suppress  further  falsehoods  of  the  kind.  I  told  him  I 
couldn't  do  that,  because  the  story  was  true.  I  had 
written  it  myself.  He  was  angry,  and  I  could  see  that 
he  was  holding  himself  in  by  main  strength.  I  went 
on  to  explain  that  it  was  the  duty  of  an  honest  paper, 
as  I  saw  it,  to  expose  such  trespass  upon  the  people's 
rights.  He  asked  me  if  I  knew  who  was  behind  the 
scheme.  I  said  I  knew  some  of  the  backers.  They 
were  pretty  big  men,  too.  Then  he  informed  me  that 
he  himself  was  deeply  interested. 

"  I  was  knocked  off  my  feet  by  that,  you  can  imagine. 
And,  to  be  frank,  Captain,  if  I  had  known  it  at  first 
I'm  not  sure  that  I,  personally,  would  have  taken  the 
matter  up.  Yet  I  might;  I  can't  tell.  But  now  that  I 
had  done  it  and  discovered  what  I  had,  I  couldn't  give 
it  up.  I  must  go  on  and  learn  more.  And  I  knew 
enough  already  to  be  certain  that  the  more  I  learned  the 
more  I  should  write  and  have  published.  It  was  one 
of  those  things  which  had  to  be  made  public  —  if  a  fel 
low  had  a  conscience  about  him  and  a  pride  in  the 
decency  of  his  profession. 

"  All  this  was  going  through  my  head  as  I  sat  there 
in  his  private  office.  And  he  took  my  surprise  and  hesi- 

179 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

tation  as  symptoms  of  wavering  and  went  at  me,  hard. 
Of  course  I  knew,  he  said,  that  the  operation  was  abso 
lutely  within  the  law.  I  did,  but  that  didn't  make  it 
more  honest  or  moral  or  just.  He  went  on  to  say  that 
in  large  financial  deals  of  this  nature  petty  scruples 
must  be  lost  sight  of.  Good  of  the  business,  rights  of 
stockholders,  all  that  sort  of  stuff;  he  rang  the  changes. 
All  the  papers  cared  for  was  sensation ;  to  imperil  the 
fortune  of  widows  and  orphans  whose  savings  were  in 
vested  in  the  South  Shore  Stock,  for  the  sake  of  sen 
sation,  was  a  crime.  He  should  have  known  better 
than  to  say  that  to  me;  it  is  such  an  ancient,  worn-out 
platitude." 

"  I  know.  I've  been  to  political  meetin's.  The 
widows  and  orphans  are  always  hangin'  on  the  success 
of  the  Republican  party  —  or  the  Democratic,  whichever 
way  you  vote.  The  amount  of  tears  shed  over  their  in 
vestments  by  fellers  you  wouldn't  trust  with  a  brass 
five-cent  piece,  is  somethin'  amazin'.  Go  on;  I  didn't 
mean  to  interrupt." 

"  Then  he  switched  to  a  more  personal  appeal.  He 
said  he  had  taken  a  fancy  to  me ;  had  liked  me  from  the 
very  beginning.  He  recognized  my  unusual  genius  at 
first  sight  and  had  gone  as  far  as  to  make  plans  bear 
ing  directly  on  my  future.  He  was  associated  with 
men  of  wealth  and  business  sagacity.  Large  deals,  of 
which  the  Trolley  Combine  was  but  one,  were  on  foot. 
He  and  his  friends  needed  a  representative  on  the  press 
—  a  publicity  agent,  so  to  speak.  Some  of  the  great 
est  corporations  employed  men  of  that  kind,  and  the 
salaries  paid  were  large  and  the  opportunities  afforded 
greater  still.  Well,  that's  true  enough.  I  know  writ 
ers  who  are  doing  just  that  thing  and  getting  rich  at  it. 
I  suppose  they've  squared  their  consciences  somehow 

1 80 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

and  are  willing  to  write  lies  and  misleading  articles  for 
what  there  is  in  it.  I  can't,  that's  all ;  I'm  not  built  that 
way,  and  I  told  him  so. 

"  It  ended  in  an  open  break.  He  reminded  me  of  the 
favors  he  had  done  me.  He  had  treated  me  almost  like 
a  son,  had  introduced  me  to  his  family,  entertaining  me 
at  his  table.  Where  was  my  gratitude?  That  was  an 
other  bad  break  on  his  part,  for  it  made  me  mad.  I 
told  him  I  had  not  asked  to  be  adopted  or  fed  by  him ; 
if  I  had  supposed  his  kindness  had  an  ulterier  motive, 
I  would  have  seen  him  at  the  devil  before  I  accepted  a 
favor.  My  career  as  a  financial  visitor  was  ended. 
Get  out  of  his  office!  I  got.  But  the  Trolley  Com 
bine  did  not  go  through.  The  Planet  and  the  other 
papers  kept  up  the  fight  and  —  and  the  widows  and 
orphans  are  bankrupt,  I  presume." 

Captain  Elisha's  pipe  had  gone  out  long  since.  He 
absently  rubbed  the  warm  bowl  between  his  palms. 

"  Humph !  "  he  muttered.  "  So  'Bije  was  deep  in  that 
business,  was  he  ?  " 

"  He  was.  Very  deep  indeed,  I  found  out  after 
wards.  And,  I  declare,  I  almost  pitied  him  at  the  time. 
He  acted  as  if  his  whole  fortune  was  staked  on  the 
gamble.  His  hands  shook,  and  the  perspiration  stood 
on  his  forehead  as  he  talked.  I  felt  as  if  I  had  been 
the  means  of  ruining  him.  But  of  course,  I  hadn't.  He 
lived  for  some  time  after  that,  and,  I  understand,  died 
a  rich  man.'' 

"  Yes.  He  left  what  I'd  call  a  heap  of  money.  My 
nephew  and  niece  don't  seem  to  think  so,  but  I  do." 

"  So  you  see,  Captain,  why  I  stopped  calling  on  the 
Warrens,  and  why  I  did  not  accept  Miss  Warren's  invi 
tation." 

"  I  see  ...  I  see  .  .  .  And  yet  I  don't 
181 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

know.  'Bije  may  have  took  to  you  for  business  reasons, 
but  the  children  didn't.  They  liked  you  for  yourself, 
Caroline  as  much  as  said  so.  And  their  father  never 
told  'em  a  word  about  the  row,  neither.  Of  course  you 
couldn't  have  called  when  he  was  alive,  but  he's  gone, 
and  I'm  —  well,  I'm  sort  of  temporary  skipper  there 
now.  And  /  want  you  to  come." 

"  But  if  Miss  Warren  did  know  ?  She  should 
know,  I  think." 

"  I  ain't  sure  that  she  should.  I  guess  there's  con- 
sider'ble  in  her  pa's  life  she  ain't  acquainted  with.  And 
she's  as  straight  and  honest  and  upright  as  a  schooners 
fo'mast.  You  did  nothin'  to  be  'shamed  of.  It's  the 
other  way  'round,  'cordin'  to  my  notion.  But  leave  her 
out  of  it  now.  I've  sacrificed  some  few  things  to  take 
the  job  I've  got  at  present,  but  I  can't  afford  to  sacrifice 
•my  friends.  I  count  on  you  as  a  friend,  and  I  want 
you  to  come  and  see  me.  Will  you  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  Captain  Warren.  I  must  think  it 
over  a  while,  I  guess." 

"  All  right  —  think.  But  the  invitation  stands  —  my 
invitation.  And,  if  you  want  to  shift  responsibility, 
shift  it  on  to  me.  Some  day,  if  it'll  make  you  feel  bet 
ter,  I'll  tell  Caroline  and  Stevie  the  whole  story.  But  I 
want  them  to  know  you  and  the  world  —  and  me  —  a 
little  better  first.  'Cordin'  to  my  notion,  they  need  edu 
cation  just  along  that  line.  They've  got  teachers  in 
other  branches,  but  .  .  .  There !  I've  got  to  be 
goin'.  There's  the  dinner  bell  now." 

The  string  of  Japanese  gongs,  hung  in  the  lower  hall, 
sounded  sonorously.  Captain  Elisha  reached  for  his 
coat  and  hat,  but  Pearson  caught  his  arm. 

"  No,  you  don't !  "  he  declared.  "  You're  going  to 
stay  and  have  lunch  with  me  —  here.  If  you  say  no,  I 

182 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

shall  believe  it  is  because  you  are  afraid  of  a  boarding- 
house  meal." 

His  guest  protested,  but  the  protests  were  overruled, 
and  he  and  his  host  went  down  to  the  dining  room. 
The  captain  whispered  as  they  entered,  "  Land  sakes, 
Jim,  this  takes  me  back  home.  It's  pretty  nigh  a  twin 
to  the  dinin'  room  at  the  Centre  House  in  South  Den- 
boro." 

All  boarding-house  dining  rooms  bear  a  family  like 
ness,  so  the  comment  was  not  far  wrong.  A  long  table, 
rows  of  chairs  on  each  side,  ancient  and  honorable  pic 
tures  on  the  walls,  the  landlady  presiding  majestically 
over  the  teapot,  the  boarders'  napkins  in '  rings  —  all  the 
familiar  landmarks  were  present. 

Most  of  the  male  "  regulars  "  were  in  business  about 
the  city  and  therefore  lunched  elsewhere,  but  the 
females  were  in  evidence.  Pearson  introduced  his 
guest.  The  captain  met  Mrs.  Hepton,  the  landlady, 
plump,  gray-haired,  and  graciously  hospitable.  She 
did  not  look  at  all  like  a  business  woman,  but  appear 
ances  are  not  always  to  be  trusted;  Mrs.  Hepton  had 
learned  not  to  trust  them  —  also  delinquent  boarders,  too 
far.  He  met  Miss  Sherborne,  whose  coiffure  did  not 
match  in  spots,  but  whose  voice,  so  he  learned  afterward, 
had  been  "  cultivated  abroad."  Miss  Sherborne  gave 
music  lessons.  Mrs.  Van  Winkle  Ruggles  also  claimed 
his  attention  and  held  it,  principally  because  of  the  faded 
richness  of  her  apparel.  Mrs.  Ruggles  was  a  widow, 
suffering  from  financial  reverses ;  the  contrast  between 
her  present  mode  of  living  and  the  grandeur  of  the  past 
formed  her  principal  topic  of  conversation. 

There  were  half  a  dozen  others,  including  an  artist 
whose  aversion  to  barbers  was  proclaimed  by  the  lux- 

183 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

uriant  length  of  his  locks,  a  quiet  old  gentleman  who 
kept  the  second-hand  book  store  two  doors  below ;  his 
wife,  a  neat,  trim  little  body;  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C. 
Dickens,  no  less. 

Mr.  Dickens  was  bald,  an  affliction  which  he  tried  to 
conceal  by  brushing  the  hair  at  the  sides  of  his  head 
across  the  desert  at  the  top.  He  shaved  his  cheeks  and 
wore  a  beard  and  mustache.  Mrs.  Dickens  addressed 
him  as  "  C.,"  and  handed  him  the  sauce  bottle,  the  bread, 
or  whatever  she  imagined  he  desired,  as  if  she  were 
offering  sacrifice  to  an  idol. 

She  sat  next  to  Captain  Elisha  and  imparted  informa 
tion  concerning  her  lord  and  master  in  whispers,  during 
the  intervals  between  offerings. 

"  My  husband  will  be  pleased  to  meet  you,  Captain 
Warren,"  she  murmured.  "  Any  friend  of  Mr.  Pear 
son  is  certain  to  be  an  acquisition.  Mr.  Pearson  and 
my  husband  are  congenial  spirits ;  they  are  members  of 
the  same  profession." 

"  I  want  to  know,  ma'am." 

"Yes.  What  is  it,  '  C.'  dear?  Oh,  the  butter! 
Margaret  — "  to  the  waitress  — "  Mr.  Dickens  wishes  an 
other  butter-ball.  Yes,  Captain  Warren,  Mr.  Dickens 
is  an  author.  Haven't  you  noticed  the  —  er  —  resem 
blance?  It  is  considered  quite  remarkable." 

Captain  Elisha  looked  puzzled.  "  Why,"  he  said,  "  I 
hadn't  noticed  it  'special.  Jim's  —  Mr.  Pearson's  — 
eyes  and  his  are  some  the  same  color,  but — " 

"  Oh,  no !  not  the  resemblance  to  Mr.  Pearson.  I 
didn't  mean  that.  The  resemblance  to  his  more  famous 
namesake.  Surely  you  notice  it  nozv." 

The  captain  shook  his  head.  "I  —  I'm  afraid  I'm 
thick-headed,  ma'am,"  he  admitted.  "  I'm  out  of 
soundin's." 

184 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  But  the  nose,  and  his  beard,  and  his  manner. 
Don't  they  remind  you  of  the  English  Dickens  ?  " 

"  O-oh ! "  Captain  Elisha  inspected  the  great  man 
with  interest.  He  had  a  vague  memory  of  a  portrait 
in  a  volume  of  "  Pickwick "  at  home.  "  Oh,  I  see ! 
Yes,  yes." 

"Of  course  you  see!  Everyone  does.  Mr.  Dickens 
often  says  —  it  is  one  of  his  favorite  jokes  —  that  while 
other  men  must  choose  a  profession,  his  was  chosen  for 
him  by  fate.  How,  with  such  a  name,  could  he  do  any 
thing  except  write  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  ma'am.  But  names  are  risky  pilots, 
ain't  they?  I've  run  against  a  consider'ble  number  of 
Solomons,  but  there  wa'n't  one  of  'em  that  carried 
more'n  a  deckload  of  wisdom.  They  christened  me 
Elisha,  but  I  can't  even  prophesy  the  weather  with 
sartinty  enough  to  bet.  However,  I  daresay  in  your  hus 
band's  case  it's  all  right." 

The  lady  had  turned  away,  and  he  was  afraid  he  might 
have  offended  her.  The  fear  was  groundless ;  she  was 
merely  offering  another  sacrifice,  the  sugar  this  time. 

"  Yes  ?  "  she  asked,  turning,  "  you  were  saying  — : 

"  Why  —  er  —  nothin'  of  account.  I  cal'late  the  C. 
stands  for  Charles,  then." 

"  No-o.  Mr.  Dickens's  Christian  name  is  Cor 
nelius  ;  but  don't  mention  it  before  him,  he  is  very  sen 
sitive  on  that  point." 

The  Dickenses  "  tickled "  the  captain  exceedingly, 
and,  after  the  meal  was  over,  he  spoke  of  them  to  Pear 
son. 

"  Say,"  he  said,  "  you're  in  notorious  company,  ain't 
you,  Jim?  What  has  Cornelius  Charles  turned  out  so 
far,  in  the  way  of  masterpieces  ?  " 

Pearson  laughed.  "  I  believe  he  is  employed  by  a 
185 


subscription  house,"  he  replied.  "  Doing  hack  work  on 
an  encyclopedia.  A  great  collection  of  freaks,  aren't 
they,  Captain  Warren  ?  " 

"  Kind  of.  But  that  old  book-shop  man  and  his  wife 
seem  nice  folks.  And,  as  for  freaks,  the  average 
boardin'  house,  city  or  country,  seems  to  draw  'em  like 
flies.  I  guess  most  anybody  would  get  queer  if  they 
boarded  all  the  time." 

"  Perhaps  so.  Or,  if  they  weren't  queer,  they 
wouldn't  board  permanently  from  choice.  There  are 
two  or  three  good  fellows  who  dine  and  breakfast  here. 
The  food  isn't  bad,  considering  the  price." 

"  No,  it  ain't.  Tasted  more  like  home  than  any  meal 
I've  had  for  a  good  while.  I'm  afraid  I  never  was  cut 
out  for  swell  livin'." 

Mrs.  Hepton  approached  them  as  they  stood  in  the 
hall.  She  wished  to  know  if  Mr.  Pearson's  friend  was 
thinking  of  finding  lodgings.  Because  Mr.  Saks  —  the 
artist's  name  —  was  giving  up  the  second  floor  back  in 
a  fortnight,  and  it  was  a  very  pleasant  room.  "  We 
should  be  delighted  to  add  you  to  our  little  circle,  Cap 
tain  Warren." 

Pearson  told  her  that  his  companion  was  already 
lodged,  and  she  said  good-by  and  left  them.  The  cap 
tain  smiled  broadly. 

"  Everything  in  New  York  seems  to  be  circles,"  he 
declared.  "  Well,  Jim,  you  come  up  and  circulate  with 
me,  first  chance  you  get.  I'm  dependin'  on  you  to  call, 
remember." 

The  young  man  was  still  doubtful. 

"I'll  see,"  he  said.  "I  can't  promise  yet  —  perhaps 
I  will." 

"  You  will  —  after  you've  thought  it  out  to  a  finish. 
And  come  soon.  I'm  gettin'  interested  in  that  second 

1 86 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

edition  of  your  Uncle  Jim,  and  I  want  to  keep  along 
with  him  as  fast  as  you  write.  Good-by.  Much 
obliged  for  the  dinner  —  there  I  go  again !  —  luncheon, 
I  mean." 


CHAPTER  XII 

PEARSON  called.  He  appeared  at  the  apart 
ment  a  week  after  the  luncheon  at  the  board 
ing  house  and  was  welcomed  by  the  Captain 
Elisha,  who,  hearing  his  voice,  strode  into  the  hall, 
sent  the  shocked  Edwards  to  the  right-about  in  a  hurry, 
seized  his  friend's  hand,  and  ushered  him  into  the 
library.  Pearson  said  nothing  concerning  his  change  of 
mind,  the  course  of  reasoning  which  led  him  to  make 
the  visit,  and  the  captain  asked  no  questions.  He  took 
it  for  granted  that  the  young  fellow's  common  sense 
had  turned  the  trick,  and,  the  result  being  what  it  was, 
that  was  sufficient. 

They  spent  a  pleasant  afternoon  together.  Caroline 
was  out,  and  they  had  the  library  to  themselves.  The 
newest  chapters  of  the  novel  were  read  and  discussed, 
and  the  salty  flavor  of  the  talk  was  as  pronounced  as 
ever.  Pearson  left  early,  but  promised  to  come  again 
very  soon. 

When  Caroline  returned  her  uncle  told  her  of  his 
visitor.  She  seemed  unfeignedly  pleased,  but  regretted 
that  she  had  not  been  there.  "  He  was  such  a  friend  of 
father's,"  she  said,  "  that  seeing  him  here  would  be  al 
most  like  the  old  days.  And  so  many  of  those  whom 
we  thought  were  his  friends  and  ours  have  left  us." 

This  was  true.  Rodgers  Warren  and  his  children 
had  had  many  acquaintances,  had  been  active  in  church 
and  charitable  work,  and  their  former  home  was  a 
center  of  entertainment  and  gayety  while  he  lived. 

1 88 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

But  his  death  and  the  rumors  of  shrinkage  in  the  family 
fortune,  the  giving  up  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  residence, 
the  period  of  mourning  which  forbade  social  functions, 
all  these  helped  to  bring  about  forgetfulness  on  the  part 
of  the  many ;  and  Caroline's  supersensitiveness  and  her 
firm  resolve  not  to  force  her  society  where  it  might  be 
unwelcome  had  been  the  causes  of  misunderstanding  in 
others,  whose  liking  and  sympathy  were  genuine.  "  I 
don't  see  what  has  come  over  Caroline  Warren,"  de 
clared  a  former  girl  friend,  "  she  isn't  a  bit  as  she 
used  to  be.  Well,  I've  done  my  part.  If  she  doesn't 
wish  to  return  my  call,  she  needn't.  /  sha'n't  annoy  her 
again.  But  I'm  sorry,  for  she  was  the  sweetest  girl  I 
knew." 

Stephen  had  never  been  very  popular,  and  his  ab 
sence  at  college  still  further  reduced  the  number  of 
young  people  who  might  be  inclined  to  call.  Their  not 
calling  confirmed  Caroline's  belief  that  she  and  her 
brother  were  deliberately  shunned  because  of  their 
change  in  circumstances,  and  she  grew  more  sensi 
tive  and  proudly  resentful  in  consequence.  Naturally 
she  turned  for  comfort  to  those  who  remained  faithful, 
the  Dunns  in  particular.  They  were  loyal  to  her. 
Therefore,  with  the  intensity  of  her  nature,  she  became 
doubly  loyal  to  them.  The  rector  of  St.  Denis  dropped 
in  frequently,  and  others  occasionally,  but  she  was  lonely. 
She  craved  the  society  of  those  nearer  her  own  age. 

Pearson's  coming,  then,  was  psychologically  apt. 
When  he  made  his  next  call  upon  Captain  Elisha,  to 
find  the  latter  out  but  his  niece  at  home,  she  welcomed 
him  cordially  and  insisted  upon  his  waiting  until  her 
guardian  returned.  The  conversation  was,  at  first,  em 
barrassing  for  the  ex-reporter ;  she  spoke  of  her  father, 
and  Pearson  —  the  memory  of  his  last  interview  with 

189 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

the  latter  fresh  in  his  mind,  and  painfully  aware  that 
she  knew  nothing  of  it  —  felt  guilty  and  like  a  hypo 
crite.  But  soon  the  subject  changed,  and  when  the  cap 
tain  entered  the  library  he  found  the  pair  laughing  and 
chatting  like  old  acquaintances,  as,  of  course,  they 
were. 

Captain  Elisha,  paying  no  attention  to  his  friend's 
shakes  of  the  head,  invited  his  niece  to  be  present  at  the 
reading  of  the  latest  addition  to  what  he  called  "  mine 
and  Jim's  record-breakin'  sea  yarn." 

"  It's  really  mine,  you  understand,  Caroline,"  he  ob 
served,  with  a  wink.  "  I'm  silent  partner  in  the  firm 

—  if  you  can  call  the  one  that  does  all  the  talkin'  silent 

—  and  Jim  don't  do  nothin'  but  make  it  up  and  write  it 
and  get  the  profits.     Course,  you  mustn't  mention  this 
to  him,  'cause  he  thinks  he's  the  author,  and  'twould 
hurt  his  feelin's." 

"  He's  quite  right,"  declared  Pearson,  emphatically. 
"  If  the  thing  is  ever  finished  and  published  he  will  de 
serve  all  the  credit.  His  advice  had  already  remade  it. 
This  uncle  of  yours,  Miss  Warren,"  he  added,  turning 
to  her,  "  is  like  the  admiral  Kipling  wrote  about  —  he 
has  '  lived  more  stories '  than  ever  I  could  invent." 

The  captain,  fearful  that  his  niece  might  take  the 
statement  seriously,  hastened  to  protest. 

"He's  just  foolin',  Caroline,"  he  said.  "All  I've 
done  is  set  and  talk  and  talk  and  talk.  I've  used  up 
more  of  his  time  and  the  surroundin'  air  than  you'd  be 
lieve  was  possible.  When  I  get  next  to  salt  water,  even 
in  print,  it's  time  to  muzzle  me,  same  as  a  dog  in  July. 
The  yarn  is  Jim's  altogether,  and  it's  mighty  interestin' 

—  to  me  anyhow." 

"  I'm  sure  it  will  be  to  me,  also,"  declared  the  young 
lady.  "  Captain  Warren  has  told  me  all  about  it,  Mr. 

190 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Pearson,  and  I'm  very  eager  to  hear  the  new  portion/5 

"  There ! "  Captain  Elisha  slapped  his  knee. 
"  There,  Jim !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  you  hear  that  ?  Now 
you've  got  to  read  it.  Anchor's  apeak!  Heave  ahead 
and  get  under  way." 

So,  because  he  could  not  well  refuse,  the  author  re 
luctantly  began  to  read.  And,  as  usual,  his  nautical 
friend  to  interrupt  and  comment.  Caroline  listened,  her 
eyes  twinkling.  When  the  reading  and  the  arguments 
were  at  an  end,  she  declared  it  was  all  splendid ;  "  Just 
like  being  at  sea  one's  self,"  she  said.  "  I  positively 
refuse  to  permit  another  installment  to  be  submitted 
unless  I  am  —  on  deck.  That's  the  proper  phrase,  isn't 
it,  Captain?" 

"  Aye,  aye,  ma'am !  Jim,  we've  shipped  a  new  second 
mate,  and  she's  goin'  to  be  wuth  her  salt.  You  hear 
me!" 

She  proved  to  be  worth  all  of  that,  at  least  in  Pear 
son's  opinion.  His  calls  and  the  readings  and  discus 
sions  became  more  and  more  frequent.  Each  of  the 
trio  enjoyed  them  greatly,  Caroline  quite  as  much  as  the 
others.  Here  was  something  new  and  fresh,  something 
to  furnish  a  real  interest.  The  story  advanced  rapidly, 
the  character  of  the  nautical  hero  shaped  itself  better 
and  better,  and  the  heroine,  also,  heretofore  a  some 
what  shadowy  and  vague  young  woman,  began  to  live 
and  breathe.  She  changed  surprisingly,  not  only  in 
mental  but  in  physical  characteristics. 

Captain  Elisha  was  first  to  notice  the  latter  pecul 
iarity. 

"  Say,  Jim ! "  he  interrupted,  one  afternoon,  "  what 
was  that  you  just  read  about  Mary?  Her  hat  blowin' 
off  to  leeward  and  her  brown  hair  blowin'  after  it?  Or 
somethin'  of  that  sort  ?  " 

191 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Caroline  laughed  merrily.  The  author  turned  to  the 
passage  mentioned. 

"  Not  exactly,  Captain,"  he  replied,  smiling.  "  I  said 
her  hat  had  blown  away,  and  her  brown  curls  tossed  in 
the  wind.  What's  wrong  with  that?  Hats  do  blow 
away  in  a  sou'wester;  I've  seen  them." 

"  Perhaps  he  thinks  she  should  have  been  more  care 
ful  in  pinning  it  on,"  suggested  the  feminine  member 
of  the  advisory  board. 

Captain  Elisha  shook  his  head.  "  No,"  he  observed 
calmly,  "  but  why  was  she  wearin'  that  kind  of  hair  ? 
She's  pretty  young  to  use  a  switch,  ain't  she  ?  " 

"  Switch  ? "  repeated  "  Mary's  "  creator,  with  some 
indignation.  "  What  are  you  talking  about  ?  When  I 
first  described  her,  I  said  that  her  hair  was  luxuriant 
and  one  of  her  chief  beauties." 

"  That's  a  fact !  So  you  did.  What  made  her  dye 
it?" 

"Dye  it?  What  do  you  think  she  is  —  a  chorus 
girl?" 

"  If  I  remember  right  she's  a  postmaster's  daughter. 
But  why  is  she  wearin'  brown  hair,  if  it  ain't  neither 
false  or  dyed?  Back  in  the  third  chapter  'twas  black, 
like  her  eyes." 

Caroline  burst  into  another  laugh.  Pearson  blushed 
to  his  forehead.  "  Well,  by  George ! "  he  admitted, 
"  you're  right.  I  believe  I  did  have  it  black,  at  first." 

"  You  sartin  did !  I  ain't  got  any  objections  to  either 
color,  only  it  ought  to  stay  put,  hadn't  it?  In  a  town 
of  the  size  she's  livin'  in,  a  girl  with  changeable  hair  is 
likely  to  be  kind  of  conspicuous.  I  tell  you!  maybe  it 
bleached  out  in  the  sun.  Ho,  ho !  " 

The  writer  made  a  note  on  the  margin  of  his  manu 
script  and  declared  that  his  heroine's  tresses  and  eyes 

192 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

should  be  made  to  correspond  at  all  stages.  They  did, 
but  they  remained  brown.  Captain  Elisha  chuckled  in 
wardly,  but  offered  no  further  comments.  Caroline, 
whose  own  hair  and  eyes  were  brown,  did  not  refer  to 
the  matter  at  all. 

She  and  the  young  man  became  better  acquainted  at 
each  succeeding  "  literary  clinic,"  as  the  latter  called 
them.  When  Rodgers  Warren  first  introduced  him  at 
their  former  home  he  had  impressed  her  favorably, 
largely  because  of  her  desire  to  like  anyone  whom  her 
father  fancied.  She  worshiped  the  dead  broker,  and 
his  memory  to  her  was  sacred.  She  would  have  for 
given  and  did  forgive  any  wrong  he  might  have  done 
her,  even  his  brother's  appointment  as  guardian,  though 
that  she  could  not  understand.  Unlike  Stephen,  who 
fiercely  resented  the  whole  affair  and  said  bitter  things 
concerning  his  parent,  she  believed  he  had  done  what  he 
considered  right.  Her  feeling  against  Captain  Elisha 
had  been  based  upon  the  latter's  acceptance  of  that  ap 
pointment  when  he  should  have  realized  his  unfitness. 
And  his  living  with  them  and  disgracing  them  in  the 
eyes  of  their  friends  by  his  uncouth,  country  ways, 
made  her  blind  to  his  good  qualities.  The  Moriarty 
matter  touched  her  conscience,  and  she  saw  more  clearly. 
But  she  was  very  far  from  considering  him  an  equal,  or 
other  than  what  Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn  termed  him,  an 
"  encumbrance,"  even  yet.  She  forced  herself  to  be 
kind  and  tolerant  and  gave  him  more  of  her  society, 
though  the  church-going  experience  was  not  repeated, 
nor  did  she  accompany  him  on  his  walks  or  out-of-door 
excursions. 

If  Pearson's  introductions  had  been  wholly  as  a 
friend  of  her  guardian,  her  feeling  toward  him  might 
have  been  tinged  with  the  same  condescension  or 

193 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

aversion,  even.  But,  hallowed  as  he  was  by  association 
with  her  father,  she  welcomed  him  for  the  latter's  sake. 
And,  as  she  became  interested  in  the  novel  and  found 
that  her  suggestions  concerning  it  were  considered 
valuable,  she  looked  forward  to  his  visits  and  was  dis 
appointed  if,  for  any  reason,  they  were  deferred. 
Without  being  aware  of  it,  she  began  to  like  the  young 
author,  not  alone  because  he  wrote  entertainingly  and 
flattered  her  by  listening  respectfully  to  her  criticisms, 
or  because  her  father  had  liked  him,  but  for  himself. 

Captain  Elisha  was  much  pleased. 

"  I  told  you,  Jim ! "  he  said.  "  She's  just  as  glad  to 
see  you  as  I  am.  Now  don't  you  see  how  foolish  it 
was  to  stay  away  'cause  you  and  'Bije  had  a  spat? 
Think  of  all  the  good  times  we'd  have  missed!  And 
we  needed  a  female  aboard  your  Uncle  Jim's  craft,  to 
help  with  '  Mary '  and  the  rest." 

His  friend  nodded.  "  She  has  been  a  great  help,  cer 
tainly,"  he  answered.  "  But  I  can't  help  feeling  guilty 
every  time  I  come  here.  It  is  too  much  like  obtaining 
her  friendship  under  false  pretenses.  She  should 
know  the  whole  thing,  I  believe." 

"  She  shall  know  it,  when  I  think  it's  time  for  her 
to.  But  I  want  her  to  know  you  first.  Then  she'll  be 
able  to  judge  without  so  much  prejudice.  I  told  you 
I'd  take  the  responsibility.  You  leave  the  ship  in  my 
charge  for  a  spell." 

In  spite  of  this  confident  assertion,  the  captain  also 
felt  a  trifle  guilty.  He  realized  that  selfishness  was  in 
volved  in  his  keeping  Pearson's  secret  from  his  niece. 
He  was  thoroughly  enjoying  himself  with  these  two, 
and  he  could  not  bear  to  risk  the  breaking  up  which 
might  follow  disclosure. 

One  evening,  while  a  "  clinic "  was  in  progress  and 
194 


She  and  the  young  man  became  better  acquainted  at  each 
succeeding  '  literary  clinic.'  " 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

the  three  were  deep  in  consultation,  Edwards  entered 
to  announce  Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn  and  Mr.  Malcolm. 
The  butler's  giving  the  lady  precedence  in  his  announ 
cing  showed  that  he,  too,  realized  who  was  ranking  offi 
cer  in  that  family,  even  though  the  captain's  "  conun 
drum  "  had  puzzled  him.  Mrs.  Dunn  and  her  son 
entered  at  his  heels. 

The  lady  took  in  the  group  by  the  table  at  a  glance: 
Pearson,  with  the  manuscript  in  his  hands ;  Captain 
Elisha  leaning  back  in  his  chair,  frowning  at  the  in 
terruption;  Caroline  rising  to  welcome  the  guests,  and 
coloring  slightly  as  she  did  so.  All  these  details  Mrs. 
Dunn  noted,  made  an  entry  in  her  mental  memorandum- 
book,  and  underscored  it  for  future  reference. 

If  she  discerned  unpleasant  possibilities  in  the  situa 
tion,  she  did  not  allow  them  to  disturb  her  outward 
serenity.  She  kissed  Caroline  and  called  her  "  dear 
child  "  as  fondly  as  usual,  shook  hands  graciously  with 
Captain  Elisha,  and  bowed  condescending  recognition  of 
Pearson. 

"  And  how  is  the  novel  coming  on  ?  Do  tell  me ! " 
she  begged.  "  I'm  sure  we  interrupted  a  reading.  It's 
too  bad  of  us,  really!  But  Malcolm  insisted  upon  com 
ing.  He  has  been  very  busy  of  late  —  some  dreadful 
*  corner '  or  other  on  the  exchange  —  and  has  neglected 
his  friends  —  or  thinks  he  has.  I  told  him  I  had  ex 
plained  it  all  to  you,  Caroline,  but  he  would  come  to 
night.  It  is  the  first  call  he  has  made  in  weeks ;  so  you 
see!  But  there!  he  doesn't  consider  running  in  here  a 
call." 

Call  or  not,  it  spoiled  the  evening  for  at  least  two  of 
the  company.  Pearson  left  early.  Captain  Elisha  ex 
cused  himself  soon  after  and  went  to  his  room,  leav 
ing  the  Dunns  to  chat  with  Caroline  for  an  hour  or 

195 


more.     Malcolm   joked   and    was   languid   and   cynical. 
His  mother  asked  a  few  carefully  guarded  questions. 

"  Quite  a  clever  person,  this  young  author  friend  of 
yours  seems  to  be,  Caroline,"  she  observed.  "  Almost 
brilliant,  really." 

"  He  isn't  a  friend  of  mine,  exactly,"  replied  the  girl. 
"  He  and  Captain  Warren  are  friendly,  and  father  used 
to  know  and  like  him,  as  I  have  told  you.  The  novel  is 
great  fun,  though!  The  people  in  it  are  coming  to 
seem  almost  real  to  me." 

"I  daresay!  I  was  a  great  reader  myself  once,  be 
fore  my  health  —  my  heart,  you  know  —  began  to 
trouble  me.  The  doctors  now  forbid  my  reading  any 
thing  the  least  bit  exciting.  Has  this  —  er  —  Mr.  Pear 
son  means  ?  " 

"  I  know  very  little  of  him,  personally,  but  I  think 
not.  He  used  to  be  connected  with  the  Planet,  and 
wrote  things  about  Wall  Street.  That  was  how  father 
came  to  know  him." 

"  Live  in  an  attic,  does  he  ? "  inquired  Malcolm. 
"  That's  what  all  authors  do,  isn't  it  ?  Put  up  in  attics 
and  sleep  on  pallets  —  whatever  they  are  —  and  eat 
crusts,  don't  they?  Jolly  life  —  if  you  like  it!  I  pre 
fer  bucking  wheat  corners,  myself." 

Mrs.  Dunn  laughed,  and  Caroline  joined  her,  though 
not  as  heartily. 

"  How  ridiculous  you  are,  Malcolm !  "  exclaimed  his 
mother.  "  Mr.  Pearson  isn't  that  kind  of  an  author, 
I'm  sure.  But  where  does  he  live,  Caroline  ?  " 

"  Somewhere  on  West  i8th  Street,  I  believe.  He  has 
rooms  there,  I  think." 

"Oh!  Really?  And  how  is  this  wonderful  novel  of 
his  progressing?  When  does  he  expect  to  favor  us 
with  it?" 

196 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  I  don't  know.  But  it  is  progressing  very  well  at 
present.  He  has  written  three  chapters  since  last 
Wednesday.  He  was  reading  them  to  us  when  you 
came." 

"  Indeed !  Since  last  Wednesday  ?  How  interest- 
ing!" 

Malcolm  did  not  seem  to  find  the  topic  interesting, 
for  he  smothered  a  yawn.  His  mother  changed  the  sub 
ject.  On  their  way  home,  however,  she  again  referred 
to  it. 

"  You  must  make  it  a  point  to  see  her  every  day," 
she  declared.  "  No  matter  what  happens,  you  must 
do  it." 

"  Oh,  Lord ! "  groaned  her  son,  "  I  can't.  There's 
the  deuce  and  all  on  'Change  just  now,  and  the  billiard 
tournament's  begun  at  the  Club.  My  days  and  nights 
are  full  up.  Once  a  week  is  all  she  should  expect,  I 
think." 

"  No  matter  what  you  think  or  what  she  expects,  you 
must  do  as  I  say." 

"Why?" 

"  Because  I  don't  like  the  looks  of  things." 

"  Oh,  rubbish !  You're  always  seeing  bugaboos. 
Uncle  Hayseed  is  pacified,  isn't  he?  I've  paid  the 
Moriarty  crowd  off.  Beastly  big  bills  they  were,  too !  " 

"  Humph !  Uncle  Hayseed,  as  you  call  him,  is  any 
thing  but  a  fool.  But  he  isn't  the  particular  trouble  at 
present.  He  and  I  understand  each  other,  I  believe, 
and  he  will  be  reasonable.  But  —  there  is  this  Pear 
son.  I  don't  like  his  calling  so  frequently." 

Malcolm  laughed  in  huge  scorn.  "  Pearson ! "  he 
sneered.  "  Why,  he's  nothing  but  a  penny-a-liner,  with 
out  the  penny.  Surely  you're  not  afraid  Caroline  will 
take  a  fancy  to  him.  She  isn't  an  idiot." 

197 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  She's  a  young  girl,  and  more  romantic  than  I  wish 
she  was.  At  her  age  girls  do  silly  things,  sometimes. 
He  called  on  Wednesday  —  you  heard  her  say  so  — r 
and  was  there  again  to-night.  I  don't  like  it,  I  tell  you."' 

"  Her  uncle  is  responsible  for  — " 

"  It  is  more  than  that.  She  knew  him  long  before 
she  knew  her  uncle  existed.  Her  father  introduced  him 
—  her  father.  And  to  her  mind,  whatever  her  father 
did  was  right." 

"  Witness  his  brilliant  selection  of  an  executor.  Oh, 
Mater,  you  weary  me!  I  used  to  know  this  Pearson 
when  he  was  a  reporter  down  town,  and  .  .  . 
Humph !  " 

"What  is  it?" 

"  Why,  nothing,  I  guess.  It  seemed  as  if  I  remember 
Warren  and  Pearson  in  some  sort  of  mix-up.  Some 
.  .  .  Humph!  I  wonder." 

He  was  silent,  thinking.  His  mother  pressed  his  arm 
excitedly. 

"  If  you  remember  anything  that  occurred  between 
Rodgers  Warren  and  this  man,  anything  to  this  Pear 
son's  disadvantage,  it  may  pay  us  to  investigate.  What 
was  it?" 

"  I  don't  know.  But  it  seemed  as  if  I  remembered 
Warren's  ...  or  a  friend  of  his  telling  me  .  .  . 
saying  something  .  .  .  but  it  couldn't  be  of  im 
portance,  because  Caroline  doesn't  know  it." 

"  I'm  not  so  sure  that  it  may  not  be  important.  And, 
if  you  recall,  on  that  day  when  we  first  met  him  at 
Caroline's,  she  seemed  hurt  because  he  had  not  visited 
them  since  her  father  died.  Perhaps  there  zvas  a  rea 
son.  At  any  rate,  I  should  look  into  the  matter." 

"  All  right,  Mater,  just  as  you  say.  Really  you  ought 
to  join  a  Don't  Worry  Club." 

198 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  One  member  in  the  family  is  quite  sufficient.  And 
I  expect  you  to  devote  yourself  to  Caroline  from  now 
on.  That  girl  is  lonely,  and  when  you  get  the  combina 
tion  of  a  lonely  romantic  young  girl  and  a  good-looking 
and  interesting  young  fellow,  even  though  he  is  as  poor 
as  a  church  mouse,  anything  may  happen.  Add  to  that 
the  influence  of  an  unpractical  but  sharp  old  Yankee 
relative  and  guardian  —  then  the  situation  is  positively 
dangerous." 


CHAPTER  XIII 

AN    important   event   was   about   to   take   place. 
At    least,    it    seemed    important    to    Captain 
Elisha,    although    the    person    most    intimately 
concerned  appeared  to  have  forgotten  it  entirely.     He 
ventured  to  remind  her  of  it. 

"  Caroline,"  he  said,  "  Sunday  is  your  birthday,  ain't 
it?" 

His  niece  looked  at  him  in  surprise.  "  Yes,"  she 
answered,  "  it  is.  How  did  you  know  ?  " 

"  Why,  I  remembered,  that's  all.  Graves,  the  lawyer 
man,  told  me  how  old  you  and  Stevie  were,  fust  time  I 
met  him.  And  his  partner,  Mr.  Sylvester,  gave  me  the 
date  one  day  when  he  was  goin'  over  your  pa's  will. 
You'll  be  twenty  years  old  Sunday,  won't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

It  was  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  she  had  been  out 
since  ten  o'clock  shopping  with  Mrs.  Dunn,  lunching 
•down  town  with  the  latter  and  Malcolm,  and  motoring 
for  an  hour  or  two.  The  weather  for  the  season  was 
mild  and  sunny,  and  the  crisp  air  had  brightened  her 
cheeks,  her  eyes  sparkled,  her  fur  coat  and  cap  were 
very  becoming,  and  Captain  Elisha  inspected  her  ad 
miringly  before  making  another  remark. 

"  My !  My !  "  he  exclaimed,  after  an  instant's  pause. 
"  Twenty  years  old  !  Think  of  it !  'Bije's  girl's  a  young 
woman  now,  ain't  she?  I  cal'late  he  was  proud  of  you, 
too.  He  ought  to  have  been.  I  presume  likely  lie 
didn't  forget  your  birthday." 

200 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  rose  to  help  her  with  the  heavy  coat.  As  he  lifted 
it  from  her  shoulders,  he  bent  forward  and  caught  a 
glimpse  of  her  face. 

"  There  !  there !  "  he  said,  hastily.  "  Don't  feel  bad, 
dearie.  I  didn't  mean  to  hurt  your  feelin's.  Excuse 
me;  I  was  thinkin'  out  loud,  sort  of." 

She  did  not  answer  at  once,  but  turned  away  to  re 
move  her  cap.  Then  she  answered,  without  looking  at 
him. 

"  He  never  forgot  them,"  she  said. 

"  Course  he  didn't.  Well,  you  see  I  didn't  forget, 
either." 

It  was  an  unfortunate  remark,  inasmuch  as  it  drew, 
in  her  mind,  a  comparison  between  her  handsome,  dig 
nified  father  and  his  rude,  uncultured  brother.  The 
contrast  was  ever  present  in  her  thoughts,  and  she  did 
not  need  to  be  reminded  of  it.  She  made  no  reply. 

"  I  was  thinkin',"  continued  the  captain,  conscious  of 
having  made  a  mistake,  "  that  maybe  we  might  cele 
brate  somehow,  in  a  quiet  way." 

"  No.     I  am  not  in  the  mood  for  —  celebrations." 

"  Oh,  I  didn't  mean  fireworks  and  the  town  band.  I 
just  thought — " 

"  Please  don't.     I  remember  other  birthdays  too  well." 

They  had  been  great  occasions,  those  birthdays  of 
hers,  ever  since  she  was  a  little  girl.  On  the  eighteenth 
she  made  her  debut  in  society,  and  the  gown  she  wore 
on  that  memorable  evening  was  laid  away  upstairs,  a 
cherished  memento,  to  be  kept  as  long  as  she  lived. 
Each  year  Rodgers  Warren  took  infinite  pains  to  please 
and  surprise  his  idolized  daughter.  She  could  not  bear 
to  think  of  another  birthday,  now  that  he  had  been  taken 
from  her. 

Her  guardian  pulled  his  beard.     "  Well,"  he  observed 

201 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

ruefully,  "  then  my  weak  head's  put  my  foot  in  it  again, 
as  the  feller  said.  If  I  ain't  careful  I'll  be  like  poor 
cracked  Philander  Baker,  who  lives  with  his  sister  over 
at  Denboro  Centre.  The  doctor  told  Philander  he  was 
threatened  with  softenin'  of  the  brain,  and  the  sister 
thanked  him  for  the  compliment.  You  see,  Caroline,  I 
wrote  on  my  own  hook  and  asked  Stevie  to  come  home 
Saturday  and  stay  till  Monday.  I  kind  of  thought  you'd 
like  to  have  him  here." 

"Oh,  I  should  like  that!  But  will  he  come?  Has 
he  written  you  ?  " 

"  Hey  ?  Yes,  I  cal'late  he'll  be  on  deck.  He's  —  er 
—  yes,  he's  written  me." 

He  smiled  as  he  answered.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  the 
correspondence  between  Stephen  and  himself  had  been 
lengthy  and  voluminous  on  the  part  of  the  former, 
and  brief  and  business-like  on  his  own.  The  boy, 
on  his  return  to  college,  had  found  "  conditions " 
awaiting  him,  and  the  amount  of  hard  work  involved  in 
their  clearance  was  not  at  all  to  his  taste.  He  wrote  his 
guardian  before  the  first  week  was  over,  asserting  that 
the  whole  business  was  foolishness  and  a  waste  of  time. 
He  should  come  home  at  once,  he  said,  and  he  notified 
the  captain  that  such  was  his  intention.  Captain  Eli- 
sha  replied  with  promptness  and  decision.  If  he  came 
home  he  would  be  sent  back,  that  was  all.  "  I  realize 
you've  got  a  job  ahead  of  you,  Son,"  wrote  the  captain, 
"  but  you  can  do  it,  if  you  will.  Fact  is,  I  guess  you've 
got  to.  So  sail  in  and  show  us  what  you're  made 
of." 

Stephen's  answer  was  a  five  page  declaration  of  inde 
pendence.  He  refused  to  be  bullied  by  any  living  man. 
He  had  made  arrangements  to  come  to  New  York  on 
the  following  Monday,  and  he  was  coming.  As  to  being 

202 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

sent  back,  he  wished  his  uncle  to  understand  that  it  was 
one  thing  to  order  and  another  to  enforce  obedience. 
To  which  he  received  the  following  note: 

"  I  can't  stop  you  from  coming,  Steve,  except  by  go 
ing  to  New  Haven  and  holding  you  by  main  strength. 
That  I  don't  propose  to  do,  for  two  reasons :  first,  that 
it  is  too  much  trouble,  and  second  that  it  ain't  necessary. 
You  can  come  home  once  in  a  while  to  see  your  sister, 
but  you  mustn't  do  it  till  I  say  the  word.  If  you  do,  I 
shall  take  the  carfare  out  of  your  allowance,  likewise 
board  while  you  are  here,  and  stop  that  allowance  for 
a  month  as  a  sort  of  fine  for  mutiny.  So  you  better 
think  it  over  a  spell.  And,  if  I  was  you,  I  wouldn't 
write  Caroline  that  I  was  coming,  or  thinking  of  com 
ing,  till  I  had  my  mind  made  up.  She  believes  you  are 
working  hard  at  your  lessons.  I  shouldn't  disappoint 
her,  especially  as  it  wouldn't  be  any  use. 

"  Your  affectionate  uncle, 

"  ELISHA  WARREN." 

The  result  of  all  this  was  that  Stephen,  whose 
finances  were  already  in  a  precarious  condition,  did 
think  it  over  and  decided  not  to  take  the  risk.  Also, 
conscious  that  his  sister  sided  with  their  guardian  to 
the  extent  of  believing  the  university  the  best  place  for 
him  at  present,  he  tore  up  the  long  letter  of  grievance 
which  he  had  written  her,  and,  in  that  which  took  its 
place,  mentioned  merely  that  he  was  "  grinding  like 
blazes,"  and  the  only  satisfaction  he  got  from  it  was  his 
removal  from  the  society  of  the  "  old  tyrant  from  Cape 
Cod." 

He  accepted  the  tyrant's  invitation  to  return  for  the 
week-end  and  his  sister's  birthday  with  no  hesitation 
14  203 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

whatever;  and  his  letter  of  acceptance  was  so  politic 
as  to  be  almost  humble. 

He  arrived  on  an  early  train  Saturday  morning.  Car 
oline  met  him  at  the  station,  and  the  Dunns'  car  con 
veyed  them  to  the  latter's  residence,  where  they  were 
to  spend  the  day.  The  Dunns  and  Caroline  had  been 
together  almost  constantly  since  the  evening  when  Mal 
colm  and  his  mother  interrupted  the  reading  of  the 
novel.  The  former,  while  professing  to  be  harassed  by 
business  cares,  sacrificed  them  to  the  extent  of  devoting 
at  least  a  part  of  each  twenty-four  hours  to  the  young 
lady's  society.  She  was  rarely  allowed  to  be  alone  with 
her  uncle,  a  circumstance  which  troubled  her  much  less 
than  it  did  him.  He  missed  the  evenings  which  he  had 
enjoyed  so  much,  and  the  next  consultation  over  the  ad 
ventures  of  Pearson's  "  Uncle  Jim  "  and  his  "  Mary  " 
seemed  flat  and  uninteresting  without  criticism  and  ad 
vice. 

The  author  himself  noticed  the  difference. 

"  Rot !  "  he  exclaimed,  throwing  the  manuscript  aside 
in  disgust.  "  It's  rot,  isn't  it!  If  I  can't  turn  out  better 
stuff  than  that,  I'd  better  quit.  And  I  thought  it  was 
pretty  decent,  too,  until  to-night." 

Captain  Elisha  shook  his  head.  "  It  don't  seem  quite 
so  shipshape,  somehow,"  he  admitted,  "  but  I  guess 
likely  it's  'cause  my  head's  full  of  other  things  just  now. 
I'm  puzzled  'most  to  death  to  know  what  to  get  for  Caro 
line's  birthday.  I  want  to  get  her  somethin'  she'll  like, 
and  she's  got  pretty  nigh  everything  under  the  sun. 
Say,  Jim,  you've  been  workin'  too  hard,  yourself.  Why 
don't  you  take  to-morrow  off  and  cruise  around  the 
stores  helpin'  me  pick  out  a  present.  Come  ahead  — 
do!" 

They  spent  the  next  afternoon  in  that  "  cruise,"  vis- 
204 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

iting  department  stores,  jewelers,  and  art  shops  innu 
merable.  Captain  Elisha  was  hard  to  please,  and  his 
comments  characteristic. 

*'  I  guess  you're  right,  Jim,"  he  said,  "  there's  no- 
use  lookin'  at  pictures.  Let  alone  that  the  walls  are  so- 
covered  with  'em  now  a  fly  can't  scarcely  light  without 
steppin'  on  some  kind  of  scenery  —  let  alone  that,  my 
judgment  on  pictures  ain't  any  good.  I  cal'late  that's 
considered  pretty  fine,  ain't  it  ?  "  pointing  to  a  painting 
in  the  gallery  where  they  then  were. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  dealer,  much  amused.  "  That  is 
a  good  specimen  of  the  modern  impressionist  school." 

"  Humph !  Cookin'  school,  I  shouldn't  wonder.  I'd 
call  it  a  portrait  of  a  plate  of  scrambled  eggs,  if  'twa'n't 
for  that  green  thing  that's  either  a  cow  or  _\  church  in 
the  offin'.  Out  of  soundin's  again,  I  am!  But  I  knew 
she  liked  pictures,  and  so  ...  However,  let's  set 
sail  for  a  jewelry  store." 

The  sixth  shop  of  this  variety  which  they  visited  hap 
pened  to  be  one  of  the  largest  and  most  fashionable  in 
the  city.  Here  the  captain's  fancy  was  taken  by  a  gold 
chain  for  the  neck,  set  with  tiny  emeralds. 

"That's  pretty  — sort  of  — ain't  it,  Jim?"  he  asked, 

"  Yes,"  replied  his  companion,  with  emphasis,  "  it  is. 
And  I  think  you'll  find  it  is  expensive,  also." 

"  That  so  ?     How  much  ?  "  turning  to  the   salesman. 

The  latter  gave  the  price  of  the  chain.  Captain 
Elisha  whistled. 

"  Whew  !  Jerushy !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  And  it  would 
n't  much  more  than  go  around  my  wrist,  at  that.  All 
the  same  size,  are  they?" 

"  No.  Some  are  longer.  The  longer  ones  are  higher 
priced,  of  course." 

"  Sartin !     They're    for   fleshy    folks,    I    s'pose. 
205 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Thoph  Kenney  down  home,  she'd  have  to  splice  three 
of  'em  together  to  make  the  round  trip.  Thoph's  al 
ways  scared  he  won't  get  his  money's  wuth  in  a  trade, 
but  he  couldn't  kick  when  he  got  her.  To  give  the  min 
ister  a  dollar  and  walk  off  with  two  hundred  and  eighty 
pounds  of  wife  is  showin'  some  business  sagacity,  hey? 
To  do  him  justice,  I  will  say  that  he  seems  to  be  satis 
fied;  she's  the  one  that  does  the  complainin'.  I  guess 
this  is  the  most  expensive  counter  in  the  store,  ain't  it, 
Mister?" 

The  clerk  laughed.  "  No,  indeed,"  he  said.  "  These 
are  all  moderate  priced  goods.  I  wonder,"  turning  to 
Pearson,  "  if  your  friend  wouldn't  like  to  see  some  of 
our  choice  pieces.  It  is  a  quiet  day  here,  and  I  shall  be 
glad  to  show  them." 

He  led  the  way  to  a  set  of  show  cases  near  the  door 
on  the  Fifth  Avenue  side.  There  before  Captain  Eli- 
sha's  dazzled  eyes  were  displayed  diamond  necklaces 
and  aigrettes,  tiaras  and  brooches,  the  figures  on  their 
price  tags  running  high  into  the  thousands.  Pearson 
and  the  good-natured  clerk  enjoyed  themselves  hugely. 

"Jim,"  said  the  captain  after  a  little  of  this,  "  is  there 
a  police  officer  lookin'  this  way  ?  " 

Pearson  laughed.  "  I  guess  not,"  he  answered. 
"  Why  ?  The  temptation  isn't  getting  too  much  for  your 
honesty,  is  it  ?  " 

"  No,"  with  a  sigh,  "  but  I'm  carryin'  a  forty  dollar 
watch  and  wearin'  a  ring  that  cost  fifteen.  I  thought 
they  was  some  punkins  till  I  begun  to  look  at  this  stuff. 
Now  they  make  me  feel  so  mean  and  poverty-struck 
that  I  expect  to  be  took  up  for  a  tramp  any  minute. 
Mister,"  to  the  clerk,  "  you  run  right  along  and  wrap 
up  that  chain  I  was  lookin'  at.  Hurry!  or  I'll  be 
ashamed  to  carry  anything  so  cheap." 

206 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Think  she'll  like  it,  do  you,  Jim  ?  "  he  asked,  when 
they  were  once  more  out  of  doors  with  the  purchase  in 
his  inside  pocket. 

"  She  ought,  certainly,"  replied  Pearson.  "  It's  a 
beautiful  thing." 

"  Yes.  Well,  you  see,"  apologetically,  "  I  wanted  to 
give  her  somethin'  pretty  good.  'Bije  always  did,  and 
I  didn't  want  to  fall  too  fur  behind.  But,"  with  a 
chuckle,  "  you  needn't  mention  the  price  to  anybody. 
If  Abbie  —  my  second  cousin  keepin'  house  for  me,  she 
is  —  if  Abbie  heard  of  it  she'd  be  for  puttin'  me  in  an 
asylum.  Abbie's  got  a  hair  breastpin  and  a  tortoise 
shell  comb,  but  she  only  wears  'em  to  the  Congregation- 
alist  meetin'-house,  where  she's  reasonably  sure  there 
ain't  likely  to  be  any  sneak-thieves.  She  went  to  a 
Unitarian  sociable  once,  but  she  carried  'em  in  a  bag 
inside  her  dress." 

Captain  Elisha  planned  to  surprise  his  niece  with  the 
gift  at  breakfast  on  the  morning  of  her  birthday,  but, 
after  reflection,  decided  to  postpone  the  presentation 
until  dinner  time.  The  inevitable  Dunns  had  taken 
upon  themselves  the  duty  of  caring  for  the  girl  and  her 
brother  during  the  major  part  of  the  day.  The  yellow 
car  appeared  at  the  door  at  ten  o'clock  and  bore  the  two 
away.  Caroline  assured  her  guardian,  however,  that 
they  would  return  in  season  for  the  evening  meal. 

The  captain  spent  lonely  but  busy  hours  until  dinner 
time  came.  He  had  done  some  scheming  on  his  own 
hook  and,  after  a  long  argument  with  the  cook,  ree'n- 
forced  by  a  small  sum  in  cash,  had  prevailed  upon  that 
haughty  domestic  to  fashion  a  birthday  cake  of  impos 
ing  exterior  and  indigestible  make-up.  Superintending 
the  icing  of  this  master-piece  occupied  some  time.  He 
then  worried  Edwards  into  a  respectful  but  stubborn 

207 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

fury  by  suggesting  novelties  in  the  way  of  table  arrange 
ment.  Another  bestowal  of  small  change  quelled  the  dis 
turbance.  Then  came,  by  messenger,  a  dozen  American 
Beauty  roses  with  Mr.  Pearson's  card  attached.  These 
the  captain  decided  should  be  placed  in  the  center  of  the 
festive  board.  As  a  center  piece  had  been  previously 
provided,  there  was  more  argument.  The  cook  took 
the  butler's  side  in  the  debate,  and  the  pair  yielded  only 
when  Captain  Elisha  again  dived  into  his  pocket. 

"  But  I  warn  you,  all  hands,"  he  observed,  "  that  this 
is  the  last  time.  My  right  fist's  got  a  cramp  in  it  this 
minute,  and  you  couldn't  open  it  again  with  a  cold 
chisel." 

At  last,  however,  everything  was  as  it  should  be,  and 
he  sat  down  in  the  library  to  await  the  coming  of  the 
young  people.  The  gold  chain  in  its  handsome  leather 
case,  the  latter  enclosed  in  the  jeweler's  box,  was  care 
fully  laid  beside  Caroline's  place  at  the  table.  The 
dinner  was  ready,  the  cake,  candles  and  all  —  the  cap 
tain  had  insisted  upon  twenty  candles  —  was  ready, 
also.  There  was  nothing  to  do  but  wait  —  and  he 
waited. 

Six-thirty  was  the  usual  dinner  hour.  It  passed. 
Seven  o'clock  struck,  then  eight,  and  still  Captain  Eli 
sha  sat  alone  in  the  library.  The  cook  sent  word  that 
the  dinner  was  ruined.  Edwards  respectfully  asked, 
"  What  shall  I  do,  sir  ? "  twice,  the  second  time  being 
sent  flying  with  an  order  to  "  Go  for'ard  and  keep  your 
hatches  closed ! "  The  nautical  phraseology  was  lost 
upon  the  butler,  but  the  tone  and  manner  of  delivery 
were  quite  understandable. 

Several  times  the  captain  rose  from  his  chair  to  tel 
ephone  the  Dunn  house  and  ask  the  reason  for  delay. 
Each  time  he  decided  not  to  do  so.  No  doubt  there  were 

208 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

good  reasons ;  Caroline  and  her  brother  had  been  de 
tained;  perhaps  the  automobile  had  broken  down  — 
the  things  were  always  breaking  down  just  at  the  most 
inconvenient  times ;  perhaps  .  .  .  Well,  at  any  rate, 
he  would  not  'phone  just  yet;  he  would  wait  a  little 
longer. 

At  last  the  bell  rang.  Captain  Elisha  sprang  up,- 
smiling,  his  impatience  and  worry  forgotten,  and,  push 
ing  the  butler  aside,  hurried  to  open  the  door  himself. 
He  did  so  and  faced,  not  his  niece  and  nephew,  but 
Pearson. 

"  Good  evening,  Captain,"  hailed  the  young  man, 
cheerily.  "  Didn't  expect  me,  did  you  ?  I  dropped  in 
for  a  moment  to  shake  hands  with  you  and  to  offer 
congratulations  to  Miss  Warren."  Then,  noticing  the 
expression  on  his  friend's  face,  he  added,  "  What's  the 
matter?  Anything  wrong?  Am  I  intruding?" 

"  No,  no !  Course  not.  You're  as  welcome  as  an 
other  egg  in  a  poor  man's  hen-house.  Come  right  in 
and  take  off  your  things.  I'm  glad  to  see  you.  Only  — 
well,  the  fact  is  I  thought  'twas  Caroline  comin'  home. 
She  and  Stevie  was  to  be  here  over  two  hours  ago,  and 
I  can't  imagine  what's  keepin'  'em." 

He  insisted  upon  his  visitor's  remaining,  although  the 
latter,  when  he  understood  the  situation,  was  reluctant 
to  do  so. 

"  Caroline'll  be  real  glad  to  see  you,  Jim,  I  know,"  the 
captain  said.  "  And  I  want  you  to  stay  for  my  sake. 
Between  pacifyin'  the  Commodore  and  frettin'  over 
what  couldn't  possibly  happen,  I  was  half  dead  of  the 
fidgets.  Stay  and  cheer  me  up,  there's  a  good  feller. 
I'd  just  about  reached  the  stage  where  I  had  the  girl  and 
boy  stove  to  flinders  under  that  pesky  auto.  I'd  even 
begun  to  figger  on  notify  in'  the  undertaker.  Tell  me 

209 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

I'm  an  old  fool  and  then  talk  about  somethin'  else. 
They'll  be  here  any  minute." 

But  a  good  many  minutes  passed,  and  still  they  did 
not  come.  Pearson,  aware  of  his  companion's  growing 
anxiety,  chatted  of  the  novel,  of  the  people  at  the  board 
ing  house,  of  anything  and  everything  he  could  think  of 
likely  to  divert  attention  from  the  one  important  topic. 
The  answers  he  received  were  more  and  more  brief  and 
absent.  At  last,  when  Edwards  agaia  appeared,  ap- 
pealingly  mute,  at  the  entrance  to  the  dining  room,  Cap 
tain  Elisha,  with  a  sigh  which  was  almost  a  groan,  sur 
rendered. 

"  I  guess,"  he  said,  reluctantly,  "  I  guess,  Jim,  there 
ain't  any  use  waitin'  any  longer.  Somethin's  kept  'em, 
and  they  won't  be  here  for  dinner.  You  and  I'll  set 
down  and  eat  —  though  I  ain't  got  the  appetite  I  cal'- 
lated  to  have." 

Pearson  had  dined  hours  before,  but  he  followed  his 
friend,  resolved  to  please  the  latter  by  going  througk 
the  form  of  pretending  to  eat. 

They  sat  down  together.  Captain  Elisha,  with  a  rue 
ful  smile,  pointed  to  the  floral  centerpiece. 

"  There's  your  posies,  Jim,"  he  observed.  "  Look 
pretty,  don't  they.  She  ain't  seen  'em  yet,  but  she'll 
like  'em  when  she  does.  And  that  over  there  is  her 
present  from  me.  Stevie  gave  her  a  box  of  gloves,  and 
I  expect,  from  what  Mrs.  Dunn  hinted,  that  she  and 
that  son  of  hers  gave  her  somethin'  fine.  She'll  show  us 
when  she  gets  here.  What's  this,  Commodore?-  Oysters, 
hey?  Well,  they  ought  to  taste  like  home.  They're 
'  Cape  Cods  ' ;  I  wouldn't  have  anything  else." 

"  We  won't  touch  the  birthday  cake,  Jim,"  he  added, 
a  little  later.  "  She's  got  to  cut  that  herself." 

The  soup  was  only  lukewarm,  but  neither  of  them 
210 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

commented    on    the    fact.     The    captain    had    scarcely 
tasted  of  his,  when  he  paused,  his  spoon  in  air. 

"Hey?"  he  exclaimed.  "Listen!  What's  that? 
By  the  everlastin',  it  is.  Here  they  are,  at  last!" 

He  sprang  up  with  such  enthusiasm  that  his  chair 
tipped  backwards  against  the  butler's  devoted  shins. 
Pearson,  almost  as  much  pleased,  also  rose. 

Captain  Elisha  paid  scant  attention  to  the  chair  inci 
dent. 

"  What  are  you  waitin'  for  ?  "  he  demanded,  whirling 
on  Edwards,  who  was  righting  the  chair  with  one  hand 
and  rubbing  his  knee  with  the  other.  "  Don't  you  hear 
'em  at  the  door  ?  Let  'em  in !  " 

He  reached  the  library  first,  his  friend  following  more 
leisurely.  Caroline  and  Stephen  had  just  entered. 

"  Well !  "  he  cried,  in  his  quarter-deck  voice,  his  face 
beaming  with  relief  and  delight,  "  you  are  here,  ain't 
you!  I  begun  to  think  .  .  .  Why,  what's  the  mat 
ter?" 

The  question  was  addressed  to  Stephen,  who  stood 
nearest  to  him.  The  boy  did  not  deign  to  reply.  With 
a  contemptuous  grunt,  he  turned  scornfully  away  from 
his  guardian. 

"  What  is  it,  Caroline  ? "  demanded  Captain  Elisha. 
"  Has  anything  happened  ?  " 

The  girl'  looked  coldly  at  him.  A  new  brooch  — • 
Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn's  birthday  gift  —  sparkled  at  her 
throat. 

"  No  accident  has  happened,  if  that  is  what  you  mean," 
she  said. 

"  But  —  why,  yes,  that  was  what  I  meant.  You  was 
so  awful  late,  and  you  know  you  said  you'd  be  home 
for  dinner,  so — " 

"  I  changed  my  mind.     Come,  Steve." 
211 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

She  turned  to  leave  the  room.  Pearson,  at  that  mo 
ment,  entered  it.  Stephen  saw  him  first. 

"  What?  "  he  cried.  "  Well,  of  all  the  nerve !  Look, 
Carol" 

"  Jim  —  Mr.  Pearson,  I  mean  —  ran  in  a  few  min 
utes  ago,"  explained  Captain  Elisha,  bewildered  and 
stammering.  "  He  thought  of  course  we'd  had  dinner 
•and  —  and  —  he  just  wanted  to  wish  you  many  happy 
returns,  Caroline." 

Pearson  had  extended  his  hand  and  a  "  Good  even 
ing  "  was  on  his  lips.  Stephen's  strange  behavior  and 
language  caused  him  to  halt.  He  flushed,  awkward,  sur 
prised,  and  indignant. 

Caroline  turned  and  saw  him.  She  started,  and  her 
cheeks  also  grew  crimson.  Then,  recovering,  she  looked 
him  full  in  the  face,  and  deliberately  and  disdainfully 
turned  her  back. 

"  Come,  Steve ! "  she  said  again,  and  walked  from  the 
room. 

Her  brother  hesitated,  glared  at  Pearson,  and  then 
stalked  haughtily  after  her. 

Captain  Elisha's  bewilderment  was  supreme.  He 
stared,  open-mouthed,  after  his  nephew  and  niece,  and 
then  turned  slowly  to  his  friend. 

"  What  on  earth,  Jim,"  he  stammered.  "  What's  it 
mean?" 

Pearson  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "  I  think  I  know 
what  it  means,"  he  said.  "  I  presume  that  Miss  Warren 
and  her  brother  have  learned  of  my  trouble  with  their 
father." 

"Hey?     No!  you  don't  think  thafs  it." 

"  I  think  there's  no  doubt  of  it." 

"But  how?" 

"  I  don't  know  how.  What  I  do  know  is  that  I  should 

212 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

ivot  have  come  here.     I  felt  it  and,  if  you  will  remem 
ber,  I  said  so.     I  was  a  fool.     Good  night,  Captain." 

Hot  and  furiously  angry  at  his  own  indecision  which 
had  placed  him  in  this  humiliating  situation,  he  was 
striding  towards  the  hall.  Captain  Elisha  seized  his 
arm. 

"  Stay  where  you  are,  Jim ! "  he  commanded.  "  If 
the  trouble's  what  you  think  it  is,  I'm  more  to  blame 
than  anybody  else,  and  you  sha'n't  leave  this  house  till 
I've  done  my  best  to  square  you." 

"  Thank  you ;  but  I  don't  wish  to  be  '  squared.'  I've 
done  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of,  and  I  have  borne  as 
many  insults  as  I  can  stand.  I'm  going." 

"  No,  you  ain't.     Not  yet.     I  want  you  to  stay." 

At  that  moment  Stephen's  voice  reached  them  from  the 
adjoining  room. 

"  I  tell  you  I  shall,  Caro ! "  it  proclaimed,  fiercely. 
"  Do  you  suppose  I'm  going  to  permit  that  fellow  to 
come  here  again  —  or  to  go  until  he  is  made  to  under 
stand  what  we  think  of  him  and  why?  No,  by  gad! 
I'm  the  man  of  this  family,  and  I'll  tell  him  a  few 
things." 

Pearson's  jaw  set  grimly. 

"  You  may  let  go  of  my  wrist,  Captain  Warren,"  he 
said ;  "  I'll  stay." 

Possibly  Stephen's  intense  desire  to  prove  his  manli 
ness  made  him  self-conscious.  At  any  rate,  he  never 
appeared  more  ridiculously  boyish  than  when,  an  in 
stant  later,  he  marched  into  the  library  and  confronted 
his  uncle  and  Pearson. 

"I  —  I  want  to  say  — "  he  began,  majestically ;  "  I 
want  to  say — " 

He  paused,  choking,  and  brandished  his  fist. 

"  I  want  to  say  — "  he  began  again. 

213 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

""'  All  right,  Stevie,"  interrupted  the  captain,  dryly, 
"  then  I'd  say  it  if  I  was  you.  I  guess  it's  time  you 
did." 

"  I  want  to  —  to  tell  that  fellow  there,"  with  a  vicious 
stab  of  his  forefinger  in  the  direction  of  Pearson,  "  that 
I  consider  him   an  —  an   ingrate  —  and   a   scoundrel  — 
and  a  miserable — " 

"  Steady ! "  Captain  Elisha's  interruption  was  sharp 
this  time.  "  Steady  now !  Leave  out  the  pet  names. 
What  is  it  you've  got  to  tell?" 

"I  —  my  sister  and  I  have  found  out  what  a  scoun 
drel  he  is,  that's  what!  We've  learned  of  the  lies  he 
wrote  about  father.  We  know  that  he  was  responsible 
for  all  that  cowardly,  lying  stuff  in  the  Planet  —  all 
that  about  the  Trolley  Combine.  And  we  don't  intend 
that  he  shall  sneak  into  this  house  again.  If  he  was  the 
least  part  of  a  man,  he  would  never  have  come." 

"  Mr.  Warren  — "  began  Pearson,  stepping  forward. 
The  captain  interrupted. 

"  Hold  on,  Jim ! "  he  said.  "  Just  a  minute  now. 
You've  learned  something  you  say,  Stevie.  The  Dunns 
told  you,  I  s'pose." 

"  Never  mind  who  told  me !  " 

"  I  don't  —  much.  But  I  guess  we'd  better  have  a 
clear  understanding  all  of  us.  Caroline,  will  you  come 
in  here,  please  ?  " 

He  stepped  toward  the  door.  Stephen  sprang  in  front 
of  him. 

"  My  sister  doesn't  intend  to  cheapen  herself  by  en 
tering  that  man's  presence,"  he  declared,  hotly.  "  I'M 
deal  with  him,  myself !  " 

"All  right.  But  I  guess  she'd  better  be  here,  just  the 
same.  Caroline,  I  want  you." 

"  She  sha'n't  come !  " 

214 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Yes,  she  shall.     Caroline !  " 

The  boy  would  have  detained  him,  but  he  pushed  him 
firmly  aside  and  walked  toward  the  door.  Before  he- 
reached  it,  however,  his  niece  appeared. 

"Well?"  she  said,  coldly.  "What  is  it  jrou  want 
of  me?" 

"  I  want  you  to  hear  Mr.  Pearson's  side  of  this  busi 
ness —  and  mine  —  before  you  do  anything  you'll  be 
sorry  for." 

"  I  think  I've  heard  quite  enough  of  Mr.  Pearson 
already.  Nothing  he  can  say  or  do  will  make  me  more 
sorry  than  I  am,  or  humiliate  me  more  than  the  fact 
that  I  have  treated  him  as  a  friend." 

The  icy  contempt  in  her  tone  was  cutting.  Pearson's 
face  was  white,  but  he  spoke  clearly  and  with  deliber 
ation. 

"  Miss  Warren,"  he  said,  "  I  must  insist  that  you  listen 
for  another  moment.  I  owe  you  an  apology  for — " 

"  Apology !  "  broke  in  Stephen,  with  a  scornful  laugh. 
"  Apology !  Well,  by  gad !  Just  hear  that,  Caro !  " 

The  girl's  lip  curled.  "  I  do  not  wish  to  hear  your 
apology,"  she  said. 

"  But  I  wish  you  to  hear  it.  Not  for  my  attitude  in 
the  Trolley  matter,  nor  for  what  I  published  in  the 
Planet.  Nor  for  my  part  in  the  disagreement  with 
your  father.  I  wrote  the  truth  and  nothing  more.  I 
considered  it  right  then  —  I  told  your  father  so  —  and 
I  have  not  changed  my  mind.  I  should  act  exactly  the 
same  under  similar  circumstances." 

"  You  blackguard ! "  shouted  Stephen.  Pearson  ig 
nored  him  utterly. 

"  I  do  owe  you  an  apology,"  he  continued,  "  for  com 
ing  here,  as  I  have  done,  knowing  that  you  were  ignorant 
of  the  affair.  I  believe  now  that  you  are  misinformed 

215 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

as  to  the  facts,  but  that  is  immaterial.  You  should 
have  been  told  of  my  trouble  with  Mr.  Warren.  I 
should  have  insisted  upon  it.  That  I  did  not  do  so  is 
my  fault  and  I  apologize;  but  for  that  only.  Good 
evening." 

He  shook  himself  free  from  the  captain's  grasp, 
bowed  to  the  trio,  and  left  the  room.  An  instant  later 
the  outer  door  closed  behind  him. 

Caroline  turned  to  her  brother.  "  Come,  Steve,"  she 
said. 

"  Stay  right  where  you  are !  "  Captain  Elisha  did  not 
request  now,  he  commanded.  "  Stevie,  stand  still. 
Caroline,  I  want  to  talk  to  you." 

The  girl  hesitated.  She  had  never  been  spoken  to  in 
that  tone  before.  Her  pride  had  been  already  deeply 
wounded  by  what  she  had  learned  that  afternoon ;  she 
was  fiercely  resentful,  angry,  and  rebellious.  She  was 
sure  she  never  hated  anyone  as  she  did  this  man  who 
ordered  her  to  stay  and  listen  to  him.  But  —  she  stayed. 

"  Caroline,"  said  Captain  Elisha,  after  a  moment  of 
silence,  "  I  presume  likely  —  of  course  I  don't  know 
for  sartin,  but  I  presume  likely  it's  Mrs.  Dunn  and  that 
son  of  hers  who've  told  you  what  you  think  you  know." 

"  It  doesn't  concern  you  who  told  us ! "  blustered 
Stephen,  pushing  forward.  He  might  have  been  a  fly 
buzzing  on  the  wall  for  all  the  attention  his  uncle  paid 
him. 

"  I  presume  likely  the  Dunns  told  you,  Caroline,"  he 
repeated,  calmly. 

His  niece  met  his  gaze  stubbornly. 

"Well,"  she  answered,  "and  if  they  did?  Wasn't  it 
necessary  we  should  know  it?  Oh!  "  with  a  shudder  of 
disgust,  "  I  wish  I  could  make  you  understand  how 
ashamed  I  feel  —  how  wicked  and  ashamed  I  feel  that 

216 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

I  —  /  should  have  disgraced  father's  memory  by  ... 
Oh,  but  there !  I  can't !  Yes ;  Mrs.  Dunn  and  Malcolm 
did  tell  us  —  many  things.  Thank  God  that  we  have 
friends  to  tell  us  the  truth ! " 

"  Amen !  "  quietly.  "  I'll  say  amen  to  that,  Caroline, 
any  time.  Only  I  want  you  to  be  sure  those  you  call 
friends  are  real  ones  and  that  the  truths  they  tell  ain't 
like  the  bait  on  a  fishhook,  put  on  for  bait  and  just  thick 
enough  to  cover  the  barb." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  insinuate  — "  screamed  the  irrepres 
sible  nephew,  wild  at  being  so  completely  ignored.  His 
uncle  again  paid  not  the  slightest  attention. 

"  But  that  ain't  neither  here  nor  there  now,"  he  went 
on.  "  Caroline,  Mr.  Pearson  just  told  you  that  his  com 
ing  to  this  house  without  tellin'  you  fust  of  his  quarrel 
with  'Bije  was  his  fault.  That  ain't  so.  The  fault  was 
mine  altogether.  He  told  me  the  whole  story;  told  me 
that  he  hadn't  called  since  it  happened,  on  that  very  ac 
count.  And  I  took  the  whole  responsibility  and  asked 
him  to  come.  I  did !  Do  you  know  why  ?  " 

If  he  expected  an  answer  none  was  given.  Caroline's 
lids  drooped  disdainfully.  "  Steve,"  she  said,  "  let  us 

go." 

"  Stop !  You'll  stay  here  until  I  finish.  I  want  to 
say  that  I  didn't  tell  you  about  the  Trolley  fuss  because 
I  wanted  you  to  learn  some  things  for  yourself.  I 
wanted  you  to  know  Mr.  Pearson  —  to  find  out  what  sort 
of  man  he  was  afore  you  judged  him.  Then,  when 
you  had  known  him  long  enough  to  understand  he  wasn't 
a  liar  and  a  blackguard,  and  all  that  Steve  has  called 
him,  I  was  goin'  to  tell  you  the  whole  truth,  not  a  part 
of  it.  And,  after  that,  I  was  goin'  to  let  you  decide  for 
yourself  what  to  do.  I'm  a  lot  older  than  you  are ;  I've 
mixed  with  all  sorts  of  folks;  I'm  past  the  stage  where 

217 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

I  can  be  fooled  by  —  by  false  hair  or  soft  soap.  You 
can't  pour  sweet  oil  over  a  herrin'  and  make  me  believe 
it's  a  sardine.  I  know  the  Pearson  stock.  I've  sailed 
over  a  heap  of  salt  water  with  one  of  the  family.  And 
I've  kept  my  eyes  open  since  I've  run  acrost  this  partic 
ular  member.  And  I  knew  your  father,  too,  Caroline 
Warren.  And  I  say  to  you  now  that,  knowin'  Jim 
Pearson  and  'Bije  Warren  —  yes,  and  knowin'  the  rights 
and  wrongs  of  that  Trolley  business  quite  as  well  as  Mal 
colm  Dunn  or  anybody  else  —  I  say  to  you  that,  al 
though  'Bije  was  my  brother,  I'd  bet  my  life  that  Jim 
had  all  the  right  on  his  side.  There !  that's  the  truth, 
and  no  hook  underneath  it.  And  some  day  you'll  real 
ize  it,  too." 

He  had  spoken  with  great  vehemence.  Now  he  took 
a  handkerchief  from  his  pocket  and  wiped  his  forehead. 
When  he  again  looked  at  his  niece,  he  found  her  staring 
intently  at  him;  and  her  eyes  blazed. 

"  Have  you  quite  finished  —  now  ?  "  she  demanded. 
"'  Steve,  be  quiet !  " 

"  Why,  yes,  I  guess  so,  pretty  nigh.  I  s'pose  there 
ain't  much  use  to  say  more.  If  I  was  to  tell  you  that 
I've  tried  to  do  for  you  and  Steve  in  this  —  same  as  in 
everything  else  since  I  took  this  job  —  as  if  you  were 
my  own -children,  you  wouldn't  believe  it.  If  I  was  to 
tell  you,  Caroline,  that  I'd  come  to  think  an  awful  lot  of 
you,  you  wouldn't  believe  that,  either.  I  did  hope  that 
since  our  other  misunderstandin'  was  cleared  up,  and 
you  found  I  wa'n't  what  you  thought  I  was,  you'd  come 
to  me  and  ask  questions  afore  passin'  judgment;  but 
perhaps  — " 

And  now  she  interrupted,  bursting  out  at  him  in  a 
blast  of  scorn  which  took  his  breath  away. 

"  Oh,  stop !  stop !  "  she  cried.  "  Don't  say  any  more. 
218 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

You  have  insulted  father's  memory,  and  defended  the 
man  who  slandered  him.  Isn't  that  enough?  Why 
must  you  go  on  to  prove  yourself  a  greater  hypocrite? 
We  learned,  my  brother  and  I,  to-day  more  than  the 
truth  concerning  your  friend.  We  learned  that  you 
have  lied  —  yes,  lied  —  and — " 

"  Steady,  Caroline!  be  careful.  I  wouldn't  say  what  I 
might  be  sorry  for  later." 

"  Sorry !  Captain  Warren,  you  spoke  of  my  misjudg 
ing  you.  I  thought  I  had,  and  I  was  sorry.  To-day  I 
learned  that  your  attitude  in  that  affair  was  a  lie  like 
the  rest.  You  did  not  pay  for  Mr.  Moriarty's  accident. 
Mr.  Dunn's  money  paid  those  bills.  And  you  allowed 
the  family  —  and  me  —  to  thank  you  for  your  generosity. 
Oh,  I'm  ashamed  to  be  near  you !  " 

"  There  !    There  !    Caroline,  be  still.     I  — " 

"  I  shall  not  be  still.  I  have  been  still  altogether  too 
long.  You  are  our  guardian.  We  can't  help  that,  I 
suppose.  Father  asked  you  to  be  that,  for  some  reason ; 
but  did  he  ask  you  to  live  here  where  you  are  not 
wanted?  To  shame  us  before  our  friends,  ladies  and 
gentlemen  so  far  above  you  in  every  way?  And  to  try 
to  poison  our  minds  against  them  and  sneer  at  them 
when  they  are  kind  to  us  and  even  try  to  be  kind  to  you  ? 
No,  he  did  not !  Oh,  I'm  sick  of  it  all !  your  deceit  and 
your  hypocritical  speeches  and  your  pretended  love  for 
us.  Love!  Oh,  if  I  could  say  something  that  would 
make  you  understand  how  thoroughly  we  despise  you, 
and  how  your  presence,  ever  since  you  forced  it  upon 

Steve  and  me,  has  disgraced  us!  If  I  only  could!  I 
j » 

She  had  been  near  to  tears  ever  since  Mrs.  Corcoran 
Dunn,  in  the  kindness  of  her  heart,  told  her  the  "  truth  " 
that   afternoon.     But   pride    and    indignation   had    pre- 
15  219 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

vented  her  giving  way.  Now,  however,  she  broke 
down. 

"  Oh  —  oh,  Steve ! "  she  cried,  and,  turning  to  her 
brother,  sobbed  hysterically  on  his  shoulder.  "  Oh, 
Steve,  what  shall  we  do  ?  " 

Stephen  put  his  arm  about  her  waist.  "  It's  all  right, 
Sis,"  he  said  soothingly.  "Don't  cry  before  hint!  I 
guess,"  with  a  glance  at  his  uncle,  "  you've  said  enough 
to  make  even  him  understand  —  at  last." 

Captain  Elisha  looked  gravely  at  the  pair.  "  I  guess 
you  have,"  he  said  slowly.  "  I  guess  you  have,  Caro 
line.  Anyhow,  I  can't  think  offhand  of  anything  you've 
left  out.  I  could  explain  some  things,  but  what's  the 
use  ?  And,"  with  a  sigh,  "  you  may  be  right  in  a  way. 
Perhaps  I  shouldn't  have  come  here  to  live.  If  you'd 
only  told  me  plain  afore  just  how  you  felt,  I'd  —  maybe 
I'd  —  but  there!  I  didn't  know  —  I  didn't  know. 
You  see,  I  thought  .  .  .  However,  I  guess  that  part 
of  your  troubles  is  over.  But,"  he  added,  firmly,  "  wher 
ever  I  am,  or  wherever  I  go,  you  must  understand  that 
I'm  your  guardian,  just  the  same.  I  considered  a  long 
spell  afore  I  took  the  place,  and  I  never  abandoned  a 
ship  yet,  once  I  took  command  of  her.  And  I'll  stick 
to  this  one !  Yes,  sir !  I'll  stick  to  it  in  spite  of  the 
devil  —  or  the  Dunns,  either.  Till  you  and  your  brother 
are  of  age  I'm  goin'  to  look  out  for  you  and  your  interests 
and  your  money;  and  nothin'  nor  nobody  shall  stop  me. 
As  for  forcin'  my  company  on  you,  though,  that  —  well, 
that's  different.  I  cal'late  you  won't  have  to  worry  any 
more.  Good  night." 

He  thrust  his  hands  into  his  pockets  and  walked  slowly 
from  the  library. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

STEPHEN,  the  "  man  of  the  family,"  was  the  only 
member  of  the  household,  servants  excepted,  who 
slept  soundly  that  night.  Conscious  of  having 
done  his  duty  in  the  affair  with  Pearson  and  his 
guardian,  and  somewhat  fatigued  by  the  disagreeable 
task  of  soothing  his  hysterical  sister,  he  was  slumbering 
peacefully  at  nine  the  next  morning  when  awakened  by 
a  series  of  raps  on  his  bedroom  door. 

"Ah!  What?  Well,  what  is  it?"  he  demanded, 
testily  opening  his  eyes.  "  Edwards,  is  that  you  ?  What 
the  devil  do  you  mean  by  making  such  a  row  ?  " 

The  voice  which  answered  was  not  the  butler's,  but 
Caroline's. 

"  Steve !  Oh,  Steve !  "  she  cried.  "  Do  get  up  and 
come  out !  Come,  quick !  " 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  inquired  the  young  man,  sitting 
up  in  bed.  "  Is  the  house  afire  ?  " 

"  No,  no !  But  do  come !  I  want  you.  Something 
has  happened." 

"Happened?     What  is  it?" 

"  I  can't  tell  you  here.  Please  dress  and  come  to  me 
as  quick  as  you  can." 

Stephen,  wondering  and  somewhat  alarmed,  dressed 
with  unusual  promptitude  and  obeyed.  He  found  his 
sister  standing  by  the  library  window,  a  letter  in  her 
hand.  She  looked  troubled  and  anxious. 

"  Well,  Caro,"  observed  the  boy,  "  here  I  am.  What 
in  the  world's  up  now  ?  " 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

She  turned. 

"  Oh,  Steve !  "  she  exclaimed,  "  he's  gone !  " 

"Gone?    Who?" 

"  Captain  Warren.     He's  gone." 

"  Gone  ?  Gone  where  ?  Caro,  you  don't  mean  he's 
—  dead?  " 

"  No,  he's  gone  —  gone  and  left  us." 

Her  brother's  expression  changed  to  incredulous  joy. 

"What?"  he  shouted.  "You  mean  he's  quit? 
Cleared  out?  Left  here  for  good?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Hurrah !  Excuse  me  while  I  gloat !  Hurrah !  We 
got  it  through  his  skull  at  last!  Is  it  possible?  But  — 
but  hold  on !  Perhaps  it's  too  good  to  be  true.  Are  you 
sure  ?  How  do  you  know  ?  " 

"  He  says  so.     See." 

She  handed  him  the  letter.  It  was  addressed  to  "  My 
dear  Caroline  "  and  in  it  Captain  Elisha  stated  his  in 
tentions  succinctly.  After  the  plain  speaking  of  the 
previous  evening  he  should  not,  of  course,  burden  them 
with  his  society  any  longer.  He  was  leaving  that  morn 
ing,  and,  as  soon  as  he  "  located  permanent  moorings 
somewhere  else  "  would  notify  his  niece  and  nephew  of 
his  whereabouts. 

"  For,"  he  added,  "  as  I  told  you,  although  I  shall  not 
impose  my  company  on  you,  I  am  your  guardian  same  as 
ever.  I  will  see  that  your  allowance  comes  to  you  regu 
lar,  including  enough  for  all  household  bills  and  pay  for 
the  hired  help  and  so  on.  If  you  need  any  extras  at 
any  time  let  me  know  and,  if  they  seem  to  me  right  and 
proper,  I  will  send  money  for  them.  You  will  stay 
where  you  are,  Caroline,  and  Stevie  must  go  back  to  col 
lege  right  away.  Tell  him  I  say  so,  and  if  he  does  not 
I  shall  begin  reducing  his  allowance  according  as  I  wrote 

222 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

him.  He  will  understand  what  I  mean.  I  guess  that  is 
all  until  I  send  you  my  address  and  any  other  sailing 
orders  that  seem  necessary  to  me  then.  And,  Caroline, 
I  want  you  and  Stevie  to  feel  that  I  am  your  anchor  to 
windward,  and  when  you  get  in  a  tight  place,  if  you  ever 
do,  you  can  depend  on  me.  Last  night's  talk  has  no 
bearing  on  that  whatever.  Good-by,  then,  until  my  next. 

"  ELISHA  WARREN." 

Stephen  read  this  screed  to  the  end,  then  crumpled  it 
in  his  fist  and  threw  it  angrily  on  the  floor. 

"  The  nerve !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  He  seems  to  think  I'm 
a  sailor  on  one  of  his  ships,  to  be  ordered  around  as  he 
sees  fit.  I'll  go  back  to  college  when  I'm  good  and  ready 
—  not  before." 

Caroline  shook  her  head.  "  Oh,  no ! "  she  said. 
"  You  must  go  to-day.  He's  right,  Steve ;  it's  the  thing 
for  you  to  do.  He  and  I  were  agreed  as  to  that.  And 
you  wouldn't  stay  and  make  it  harder  for  me,  would  you, 
dear?" 

He  growled  a  reluctant  assent.  "  I  suppose  I  shall 
have  to  go,"  he  said,  sullenly.  "  My  allowance  is  too 
beastly  small  to  have  him  cutting  it;  and  the  old  shark 
would  do  that  very  thing;  he'd  take  delight  in  doing  it, 
confound  him!  Well,  he  knows  what  we  think  of  him, 
that's  some  comfort." 

She  did  not  answer.     He  looked  at  her  curiously. 

"  Why,  hang  it  all,  Caro !  "  he  exclaimed  in  disgust ; 
"what  ails  you?  Blessed  if  I  sha'n't  begin  to  believe 
you're  sorry  he's  gone.  You  act  as  if  you  were." 

"  No,  I'm  not.  Of  course  I'm  not.  I'm  —  I'm  glad. 
He  couldn't  stay,  of  course.  But  I'm  afraid  —  I  can't 
help  feeling  that  you  and  I  were  too  harsh  last  night. 
We  said  things  —  dreadful  things  — " 

223 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"Be  hanged!  We  didn't  say  half  enough.  Oh,  don't 
be  a  fool,  Carol  I  was  just  beginning  to  be  proud  of 
your  grit.  And  now  you  want  to  take  it  all  back. 
Honestly,  girls  are  the  limit !  You  don't  know  your  own 
minds  for  twelve  consecutive  hours.  Answer  me  now ! 
Are  you  sorry  he's  gone  ?  " 

"  No.  No,  I'm  not,  really.  But  I  —  I  feel  somehow 
as  if  —  as  if  everything  was  on  my  shoulders.  You're 
going  away,  and  he's  gone,  and  —  What  is  it,  Edwards?  " 

The  butler  entered,  with  a  small  parcel  in  his  hand. 
•    "  I  beg  your  pardon,   Miss   Caroline,"  he   said.     "  I 
should  have  given  you  this  last  evening.     It  was  by  your 
place  at  the  table.     I  think  Captain  Warren  put  it  there, 
miss." 

Caroline  took  the  parcel  and  looked  at  it  wonderingly. 

"  For  me  ?  "  she  repeated. 

"  Yes,  Miss  Caroline.  It  is  marked  with  your  name. 
And  breakfast  is  served,  when  you  and  Mr.  Stephen  are 
ready." 

He  bowed  and  retired.  The  girl  sat  turning  the  little 
white  box  in  her  hands. 

"  He  left  it  for  me,"  she  said.     "  What  can  it  be  ?  " 

Her  brother  snatched  it  impatiently. 

"  Why  don't  you  open  it  and  find  out  ?  "  he  demanded. 
"Perhaps  it's  his  latch  key.  Here!  I'll  do  it  myself." 

He  cut  the  cord  and  removed  the  cover  of  the  little 
box.  Inside  was  the  jeweler's  leather  case.  He  took  it 
out  and  pressed  the  spring.  The  cover  flew  up. 

"  Whew ! "  he  whistled.  "  It's  a  present.  And 
rather  a  decent  one,  too,  by  gad !  Look,  Caro !  " 

He  handed  her  the  open  case.  She  looked  at  the 
chain,  spread  carefully  on  the  white  satin  lining.  In 
side  the  cover  was  fitted  a  card.  She  turned  it  over  and 
read :  "  To  my  niece,  Caroline.  With  wishes  for  many 

224 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

happy  returns,  and  much  love,  from  her  Uncle  Elisha 
Warren." 

She  sat  gazing  at  the  card.  Stephen  bent  down,  read 
the  inscription,  and  then  looked  up  into  her  face. 

"What<?"  he  cried.  "I  believe  —  You're  not  crying! 
Well,  I'll  be  hanged !  Sis,  you  are  a  fool !  " 

The  weather  that  morning  was  fine  and  clear.  James 
Pearson,  standing  by  the  window  of  his  rooms  at  the 
boarding  house,  looking  out  at  the  snow-covered  roofs 
sparkling  in  the  sun,  was  miserable.  When  he  retired 
the  night  before  it  was  with  a  solemn  oath  to  forget 
Caroline  Warren  altogether;  to  put  her  and  her  father 
and  the  young  cad,  her  brother,  utterly  from  his  mind, 
never  to  be  thought  of  again.  As  a  preliminary  step  in 
this  direction,  he  began,  the  moment  his  head  touched  the 
pillow,  to  review,  for  the  fiftieth  time,  the  humiliating 
scene  in  the  library,  to  think  of  things  he  should  have 
said,  and  —  worse  than  all  —  to  recall,  word  for  word, 
the  things  she  had  said  to  him.  In  this  cheerful  occupa 
tion  he  passed  hours  before  falling  asleep.  And,  when 
he  woke,  it  was  to  begin  all  over  again. 

Why  —  why  had  he  been  so  weak  as  to  yield  to  Cap 
tain  Elisha's  advice?  Why  had  he  not  acted  like  a  sen 
sible,  self-respecting  man,  done  what  he  knew  was  right, 
and  persisted  in  his  refusal  to  visit  the  Warrens?  Why? 
Because  he  was  an  idiot,  of  course  —  a  hopeless  idiot, 
who  had  got  exactly  what  he  deserved!  Which  bit  of 
philosophy  did  not  help  make  his  reflections  less  bitter. 

He  went  down  to  breakfast  when  the  bell  rang,  but 
his  appetite  was  missing,  and  he  replied  only  in  mono 
syllables  to  the  remarks  addressed  to  him  by  his  fellow 
boarders.  Mrs.  Hepton,  the  landlady,  noticed  the 
change. 

225 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  You  not  ill,  Mr.  Pearson,  I  hope  ? "  she  queried. 
"  I  do  hope  you  haven't  got  cold,  sleeping  with  your 
windows  wide  open,  as  you  say  you  do.  Fresh  air  is  a 
good  thing,  in  moderation,  but  one  should  be  careful. 
Don't  you  think  so,  Mr.  Carson  ?  " 

Mr.  Carson  was  a  thin  little  man,  a  bachelor,  who  oc 
cupied  the  smallest  room  on  the  third  story.  He  was  a 
clerk  in  a  department  store,  and  his  board  was  generally 
in  arrears.  Therefore,  when  Mrs.  Hepton  expressed  an 
opinion  he  made  it  a  point  to  agree  with  her.  In  this 
instance,  however,  he  merely  grunted. 

"  I  say  fresh  air  in  one's  sleeping  room  is  a  good 
thing  in  moderation.  Don't  you  think  so,  Mr.  Carson  ?  " 
repeated  the  landlady. 

Mr.  Carson  rolled  up  his  napkin  and  inserted  it  in 
the  ring.  His  board,  as  it  happened,  was  paid  in  full  to 
date.  Also,  although  he  had  not  yet  declared  his  inten 
tion,  he  intended  changing  lodgings  at  the  end  of  the 
week. 

"  Humph !  "  he  sniffed,  with  sarcasm,  "  it  may  be.  I 
couldn't  get  none  in  my  room  if  I  wanted  it,  so  I  can't 
say  sure.  Morning." 

He  departed  hurriedly.  Mrs.  Hepton  looked  discon 
certed.  Mrs.  Van  Winkle  Ruggles  smiled  meaningly 
across  the  table  at  Miss  Sherborne,  who  smiled  back. 

Mr.  Ludlow,  the  bookseller,  quietly  observed  that  he 
hoped  Mr.  Pearson  had  not  gotten  cold.  Colds  were 
prevalent  at  this  time  of  the  year.  "  *  These  are  the  days 
when  the  Genius  of  the  weather  sits  in  mournful  medi 
tation  on  the  threshold,'  as  Mr.  Dickens  tells  us,"  lie 
added.  "  I  presume  he  sits  on  the  sills  of  open  windows, 
also." 

The  wife  of  the  Mr.  Dickens  there  present  pricked  up 
her  ears. 

226 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"When  did  you  write  that,  '  C.'  dear?"  she  asked, 
turning  to  her  husband.  "  I  remember  it  perfectly,  of 
course,  but  I  have  forgotten,  for  the  moment,  in  which 
of  your  writings  it  appears." 

The  illustrious  one's  mouth  being  occupied  with  a  sec 
tion  of  scorching  hot  waffle,  he  was  spared  the  necessity 
of  confession. 

"  Pardon  me,"  said  Mr.  Ludlow.  "  I  was  not  quoting 
our  Mr.  Dickens  this  time,  but  his  famous  namesake." 

The  great  "  C."  drowned  the  waffle  with  a  swallow  of 
water. 

"  Maria,"  he  snapped,  "  don't  be  so  foolish.  Ludlow 
quotes  from  —  er  — '  Bleak  House.'  I  have  written  some 
things  —  er  —  similar,  but  not  that.  Why  don't  you  pass 
the  syrup  ?  " 

The  bookseller,  who  was  under  the  impression  that 
he  had  quoted  from  the  "  Christmas  Carol,"  merely 
smiled  and  remained  silent. 

"  My  father,  the  Senator,"  began  Mrs.  Van  Winkle 
Ruggles,  "  was  troubled  with  colds  during  his  political 
career.  I  remember  his  saying  that  the  Senate  Chamber 
at  the  Capitol  was  extremely  draughty.  Possibly  Mr. 
Pearson's  ailment  does  come  from  sleeping  in  a  draught. 
Not  that  father  was  accustomed  to  sleep  during  the 
sessions  —  Oh,  dear,  no!  not  that,  of  course.  How  ab 
surd  ! " 

She  laughed  gayly.  Pearson,  who  seemed  to  think  it 
time  to  say  something,  declared  that,  so  far  as  he  knew, 
he  had  no  cold  or  any  symptoms  of  one. 

"  Well,"  said  Mrs.  Hepton,  with  conviction,  "  some 
thing  ails  you,  I  know.  We  can  all  see  it ;  can't  we  ?  " 
turning  to  the  rest  of  the  company.  "  Why,  you've 
scarcely  spoken  since  you  sat  down  at  the  table.  And 
you've  eaten  next  to  nothing.  Perhaps  there  is  some 

227 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

trouble,  something  on  your  mind  which  is  worrying  you. 
Oh,  I  hope  not !  " 

"  No  doubt  it  is  the  preoccupation  of  genius,"  re 
marked  Mrs.  Dickens.  "  I'm  sure  it  must  be  that. 
When  '  C.'  is  engaged  with  some  particularly  trying 
literary  problem  he  frequently  loses  all  his  appetite  and 
does  not  speak  for  hours  together.  Isn't  it  so,  dear?  " 

"  C.,"  who  was  painfully  conscious  that  he  might  have 
made  a  miscue  in  the  matter  of  the  quotation,  answered 
sharply. 

"  No,"  he  said.     "  Not  at  all.     Don't  be  silly,  Maria." 

Miss  Sherborne  clasped  her  hands.  "  /  know !  "  she 
exclaimed  in  mock  rapture ;  "  Mr.  Pearson  is  in  love !  " 

This  suggestion  was  received  with  applause  and  hilar 
ity.  Pearson  pushed  back  his  chair  and  rose. 

"  I'm  much  obliged  for  this  outburst  of  sympathy," 
he  observed,  dryly.  "  But,  as  I  say,  I'm  perfectly  well, 
and  the  other  diagnoses  are  too  flattering  to  be  true. 
Good  morning." 

Back  in  his  room  he  seated  himself  at  his  desk,  took 
the  manuscript  of  his  novel  from  the  drawer,  and  sat 
moodily  staring  at  it.  He  was  in  no  mood  for  work. 
The  very  sight  of  the  typewritten  page  disgusted  him. 
As  he  now  felt,  the  months  spent  on  the  story  were  time 
wasted.  It  was  ridiculous  for  him  to  attempt  such  a 
thing;  or  to  believe  that  he  could  carry  it  through  suc 
cessfully;  or  to  dream  that  he  would  ever  be  anything 
better  than  a  literary  hack,  a  cheap  edition  of  "  C." 
Dickens,  minus  the  latter's  colossal  self-satisfaction. 

He  was  still  sitting  there,  twirling  an  idle  pencil  be 
tween  his  fingers,  when  he  heard  steps  outside  his  door. 
Someone  knocked. 

"  Well,  what  is  it  ?  "  he  asked. 

His  landlady  answered. 

228 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Mr.  Pearson,"  she  said,  "  may  I  see  you  ?  " 

He  threw  down  the  pencil  and,  rising,  walked  to  the 
door  and  opened  it.  Mrs.  Hepton  was  waiting  in  the 
hall.  She  seemed  excited. 

"  Mr.  Pearson,"  she  said,  "  will  you  step  downstairs 
with  me  for  a  moment  ?  I  have  a  surprise  for  you." 

"A  surprise?     What  sort  of  a  surprise?" 

"  Oh,  a  pleasant  one.  At  least  I  think  it  is  going  to 
be  pleasant  for  all  of  us.  But  I'm  not  going  to  tell  you 
what  it  is.  You  must  come  down  and  see  for  your 
self." 

She  led  the  way  downstairs,  the  young  man  following 
her,  wondering  what  the  surprise  might  be,  and  fairly 
certain  it,  nor  anything  else,  could  be  pleasant  on  that 
day. 

He  supposed,  of  course,  that  he  must  descend  to  the 
parlor  to  reach  the  solution  of  the  mystery,  but  he  was 
mistaken.  On  the  second  floor  Mrs.  Hepton  stopped 
and  pointed. 

"  It's  in  there,"  she  said,  pointing. 

"  There "  was  the  room  formerly  occupied  by  Mr. 
Saks,  the  long-haired  artist.  Since  his  departure  it  had 
been  vacant.  Pearson  looked  at  the  closed  door  and 
then  at  the  lady. 

"  A  surprise  for  me  in  there f  "  he  repeated.  "  What's 
the  joke,  Mrs.  Hepton?" 

By  way  of  answer  she  took  him  by  the  arm,  and,  lead 
ing  him  to  the  door,  threw  the  latter  open. 

"  Here  he  is  !  "  she  said. 

"  Hello,  Jim ! "  hailed  Captain  Elisha  Warren,  cheer 
fully.  "  Ship  ahoy !  Glad  to  see  you." 

He  was  standing  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  his  hat 
on  the  table  and  his  hands  in  his  pockets. 

Pearson  was  surprised ;  there  was  no  doubt  of  that  — • 
229  , 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

not  so  much  at  the  sight  of  his  friend  —  he  had  ex 
pected  to  see  or  hear  from  the  captain  before  the  day 
was  over  —  as  at  seeing  him  in  that  room.  He  could 
not  understand  what  he  was  doing  there. 

Captain  Elisha  noted  his  bewildered  expression,  and 
chuckled. 

"  Come  aboard,  Jim !  "  he  commanded.  "  Come  in 
and  inspect.  I'll  see  you  later,  Mrs.  Hepton,"  he  added, 
"  and  give  you  my  final  word.  I  want  to  hold  officer's 
council  v/ith  Mr.  Pearson  here  fust." 

The  landlady  accepted  the  broad  hint  and  turned  to 

go. 

<:  Very  well,"  she  said,  "  but  I  do  hope  for  all  our 
sakes  that  word  will  be  yes,  Mr.  Warren  —  Excuse  me, 
it  is  Captain  Warren,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  It  used  to  be,  yes,  ma'am.  And  at  home  it  is  yet. 
'Round  here  I've  learned  to  be  like  a  barroom  poll-par 
rot,  ready  to  answer  to  most  everything.  There !  "  as 
the  door  closed  after  her ;  "  now  we  can  be  more  private. 
Set  down,  Jim !  How  are  you,  anyway  ?  " 

Pearson  sat  down  mechanically.  "  I'm  well  enough  — 
everything  considered,"  he  replied,  slowly.  "  But  what 

—  what  are  you  in  here  for  ?     I  don't  understand." 

"  You  will  in  a  minute.     What  do  you  think  of  this 

—  er — .saloon  cabin?"  with  a  comprehensive  sweep  of 
his  arm. 

The  room  was  of  fair  size,  furnished  in  a  nondescript, 
boarding-house  fashion,  and  with  two  windows  overlook 
ing  the  little  back  yard  of  the  house  and  those  of  the 
other  adjoining  it.  Each  yard  contained  an  assortment 
of  ash  cans,  and  there  was  an  astonishing  number  of 
clothes  lines,  each  fluttering  a  variety  of  garments  pecul 
iarly  personal  to  their  respective  owners. 

"Pretty  snug,  ain't  it?"  continued  the  captain. 
230 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Not  exactly  up  to  that  I've  been  luxuriatin'  in  lately, 
but  more  fittin'  to  my  build  and  class  than  that  was,  I 
shouldn't  wonder.  No  Corot  paintin's  nor  five  thou 
sand  dollar  tintypes  of  dory  codders ;  but  I  can  manage 
to  worry  along  without  them,  if  I  try  hard.  Neat  but 
not  gaudy,  I  call  it  —  as  the  architect  feller  said  about 
his  plans  for  the  addition  to  the  county  jail  at  Ostable. 
Hey?  Ho!  Ho!" 

Pearson  began  to  get  a  clue  to  the  situation. 

"  Captain  Warren,"  he  demanded,  "  have  you  —  Do 
you  mean  to  say  you've  taken  this  room  to  live  in  ?  " 

"  No,  I  ain't  said  all  that  yet.  I  wanted  to  talk  with 
you  a  little  afore  I  said  it.  But  that  was  my  idea,  if 
you  and  I  agreed  on  sartin  matters." 

"  You've  come  here  to  live!  You've  left  your  —  your 
niece's  house  ?  " 

"  Ya-as,  I've  left.  That  is,  I  left  the  way  the  Irish 
man  left  the  stable  where  they  kept  the  mule.  He  said 
there  was  all  out  doors  in  front  of  him  and  only  two 
feet  behind.  That's  about  the  way  'twas  with  me." 

"  Have  your  nephew  and  niece  — " 

"  Um-hm.  They  hinted  that  my  room  was  better 
than  my  company,  and,  take  it  by  and  large,  I  guess  they 
was  right  for  the  present,  anyhow.  I  set  up  till  three 
o'clock  thinkin'  it  over,  and  then  I  decided  to  get  out 
afore  breakfast  this  mornin'.  I  didn't  wait  for  any 
good-bys.  They'd  been  said,  or  all  I  cared  to  hear  — " 
Captain  Elisha's  smile  disappeared  for  an  instant  — 
"  last  evenin'.  The  dose  was  sort  of  bitter,  but  it  had  the 
necessary  effect.  At  any  rate,  I  didn't  hanker  for  an 
other  one.  I  remembered  what  your  landlady  told  me 
when  I  was  here  afore,  about  this  stateroom  bein' 
vacated,  and  I  come  down  to  look  at  it.  It  suits  me  well 
enough;  seems  like  a  decent  moorin's  for  an  old  salt 

231 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

water  derelict  like  me;  the  price  is  reasonable,  and  I 
guess  likely  I'll  take  it.     I  guess  I  will." 

"  Why  do  you  guess  ?     By  George,  I  hope  you  will !  " 

"  Do  you  ?  I'm  much  obliged.  I  didn't  know  but 
after  last  night,  after  the  scrape  I  got  you  into,  you 
might  feel  —  well,  sort  of  as  if  you'd  seen  enough  of 
me." 

The  young  man  smiled  bitterly.  "  It  wasn't  your 
fault,"  he  said.  "  It  was  mine  entirely.  I'm  quite  old 
enough  to  decide  matters  for  myself,  and  I  should  have 
decided  as  my  reason,  and  not  my  inclinations,  told  me. 
You  weren't  to  blame." 

"  Yes,  I  was.  If  you're  old  enough,  I'm  too  old,  I 
cal'late.  But  I  did  think  —  However,  there's  no  use 
goin'  over  that.  I  ask  your  pardon,  Jim.  And  you  don't 
hold  any  grudge  ?  " 

"  Indeed  I  don't.  I  may  be  a  fool  —  I  guess  I  am  — 
but  not  that  kind." 

"  Thanks.  Well,  there's  one  objection  out  of  the  way, 
then,  only  I  don't  want  you  to  think  that  I've  hove  over 
board  that  '  responsibility '  I  was  so  easy  and  fresh  about 
takin'  on  my  shoulders.  It's  there  yet;  and  I'll  see  you 
squared  with  Caroline  afore  this  v'yage  is  over,  if  I 
live." 

His  friend  frowned. 

"  You  needn't  mind,"  he  said.  "  I  prefer  that  you 
drop  the  whole  miserable  business." 

"  Well,  maybe,  but  —  Jim,  you've  taken  hold  of  these 
electric  batteries  that  doctors  have  sometimes?  It's 
awful  easy  to  grab  the  handles  of  one  of  those  contrap 
tions,  but  when  you  want  to  drop  'em  you  can't.  They 
don't  drop  easy.  I  took  hold  of  the  handles  of  'Bije's 
affairs,  and,  though  it  might  be  pleasanter  to  drop  'em, 
I  can't  —  or  I  won't." 

232 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Then  you're  leaving  your  nephew  and  niece  doesn't 
mean  that  you've  given  up  the  guardianship  ?  " 

Captain  Elisha's  jaw  set  squarely. 

"  I  don't  remember  sayin'  that  it  did,"  he  answered, 
with  decision.  Then,  his  good-nature  returning,  he 
added,  "  And  now,  Jim,  I'd  like  your  opinion  of  these 
new  quarters  that  I  may  take.  What  do  you  think  of 
'em?  Come  to  the  window  and  take  a  look  at  the 
scenery." 

Pearson  joined  him  at  the  window.  The  captain 
waved  toward  the  clothes-lines  and  grinned. 

"  Looks  as  if  there  was  some  kind  of  jubilee,  don't  it," 
he  observed.  "  Every  craft  in  sight  has  strung  the 
colors." 

Pearson  laughed.     Then  he  said": 

"  Captain,  I  think  the  room  will  do.  It  isn't  palatial, 
but  one  can  live  in  worse  quarters,  as  I  know  from  ex 
perience." 

"  Yup.  Well,  Jim,  there's  just  one  thing  more.  Have 
I  disgraced  you  a  good  deal,  bein'  around  with  you  and 
chummin'  in  with  you  the  way  I  have?  That  is,  do  you 
think  I've  disgraced  you  ?  Are  you  ashamed  of  me  ?  " 

"I?     Ashamed  of  you?    You're  joking !" 

*'  No,  I'm  serious.  Understand  now,  I'm  not  apolo- 
gizin'.  My  ways  are  my  ways,  and  I  think  they're  just 
as  good  as  the  next  feller's,  whether  he's  from  South 
Denboro  or  —  well,  Broad  Street.  I've  got  a  habit  of 
thinkin'  for  myself  and  actin'  for  myself,  and  when  I 
take  off  my  hat  it's  to  a  bigger  man  than  I  am  and  not 
to  a  more  stylish  hat.  But,  since  I've  lived  here  in  New 
York,  I've  learned  that,  with  a  whole  lot  of  folks,  hats 
themselves  count  more  than  what's  underneath  'em.  I 
haven't  changed  mine,  and  I  ain't  goin'  to.  Now,  with 
that  plain  and  understood,  do  you  want  me  to  live  here,. 

233 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

in  the  same  house  with  you?  I  ain't  fishin'  for  com 
pliments.  I  want  an  honest  answer." 

He  got  it.     Pearson  looked  him  squarely  in  the  eye. 

"  I  do,"  he  sajd.  "  I  like  you,  and  I  don't  care  a  damn 
about  your  hat.  Is  that  plain  ?  " 

Captain  Elisha's  reply  was  delivered  over  the  balusters 
in  the  hall. 

"  Hi !  "  he  called.     "  Hi,  Mrs.  Hepton." 

The  landlady  had  been  anxiously  waiting.  She  ran 
from  the  dining  room  to  the  foot  of  the  stairs. 

"  Yes  ?  "  she  cried.     "  What  is  it  ?  " 

"  It's  a  bargain,"  said  the  captain.  "  I'm  ready  to 
engage  passage." 


CHAPTER  XV 

f    •    "^HUS  Captain  Elisha  entered  another  of  New 
York's  "  circles,"  that  which  centered  at  Mrs. 


1 


Hepton's  boarding  house.  Within  a  week  he 
was  as  much  a  part  of  it  as  if  he  had  lived  there  for 
years.  At  lunch,  on  the  day  of  his  arrival,  he  made  his 
appearance  at  the  table  in  company  with  Pearson,  and 
when  the  landlady  exultantly  announced  that  he  was  to 
be  "  one  of  our  little  party  "  thereafter,  he  received  and 
replied  to  the  welcoming  salutations  of  his  fellow 
boarders  with  unruffled  serenity. 

"  How  could  I  help  it  ?  "  he  asked.  "  Human  nature's 
liable  to  temptation,  they  tell  us.  The  flavor  of  that 
luncheon  we  had  last  time  I  was  here  has  been  hangin' 
'round  the  edges  of  my  mouth  and  tantalizin'  my  memory 
ever  since." 

"  We  had  a  souffle  that  noon,  if  I  remember  correctly, 
Captain,"  observed  the  flattered  Mrs.  Hepton. 

"  Did  you  ?  Well,  I  declare !  I'd  have  sworn  'twas 
a  biled-dinner  hash.  Knew  'twas  better  than  any  I  ever 
ate  afore,  but  I'd  have  bet  'twas  hash,  just  the  same. 
Tut!  tut!  tut!  Now,  honest,  Mrs.  Hepton,  ain't  this  — 
er  —  whatever-you-call-it  a  close  relation  —  a  sort  of 
hash  with  its  city  clothes  on,  hey  ?  " 

The  landlady  admitted  that  a  souffle  was  something  not 
unlike  a  hash.  Captain  Elisha  nodded. 

"  I  thought  so,"  he  declared.  "  I  was  sartin  sure  I 
couldn't  be  mistaken.  What  is  it  used  to  be  in  the  song 
book  ?  '  You  can  smash  —  you  can  — '  Well,  I  don't  rc- 
16  235 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

member.  Somethin'  about  your  bein'  able  to  smash  the 
vase  if  you  wanted  to,  but  the  smell  of  the  posies  was 
there  yet." 

Mr.  Ludlow,  the  bookseller,  supplied  the  quotation. 

"  '  You  may  break,  you  may  shatter 

The  vase  if  you  will, 

But  the  scent  of  the  roses 

Will  cling  to  it  still/  " 

he  said,  smiling. 

"  That's  it  Much  obliged.  You  can  warm  up  and 
rechristen  the  hash  if  you  will,  but  the  corned  beef  and 
cabbage  stay  right  on  deck.  Ain't  that  so,  Mr.  Dick 
ens?" 

The  illustrious  "  C."  bowed. 

"  Moore  ?  "  he  observed,  with  dignity. 

"  Yes.  That's  what  /  said  — '  More ! '  Said  it  twice, 
I  believe.  Glad  you  agree  with  me.  The  hymn  says 
that  weakness  is  sin,  but  there's  no  sin  in  havin'  a  weak 
ness  for  corned-beef  hash." 

Miss  Sherborne  and  Mrs.  Van  Winkle  Ruggles  were 
at  first  inclined  to  snub  the  new  boarder,  considering 
him  a  country  boor  whose  presence  in  their  select  society 
was  almost  an  insult.  The  captain  did  not  seem  to 
notice  their  hints  or  sneers,  although  Pearson  grew  red 
and  wrathful. 

"  Laura,  my  dear,"  said  Mrs.  Ruggles,  addressing  the 
teacher  of  vocal  culture,  "  don't  you  feel  quite  rural  to 
day  ?  Almost  as  if  you  were  visiting  the  country?  " 

"  I  do,  indeed,"  replied  Miss  Sherborne.  "  Refreshing, 
isn't  it?  Ha!  ha!" 

"  It  is  if  one  cares  for  such  things.  I  am  afraid  / 
don't  appreciate  them.  They  may  be  well  enough  in 
their  place,  but  — " 

236 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

She  finished  with  a  shrug  of  her  shoulders.  Captain 
Elisha  smiled. 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  he  said  politely,  joining  in  the  conver 
sation  ;  "  that's  what  the  boy  said  about  the  cooky 
crumbs  in  the  bed.  You  don't  care  for  the  country,  I 
take  it,  ma'am." 

"I  do  not!" 

"  So  ?  Well,  it's  a  mercy  we  don't  think  alike ;  even 
Heaven  would  be  crowded  if  we  did  —  hey?  You 
didn't  come  from  the  country,  either  ?  "  turning  to  Miss 
Sherborne. 

The  young  lady  would  have  liked  to  answer  with  an 
uncompromising  negative.  Truth  and  the  fact  that  some 
of  those  present  were  acquainted  with  it  compelled  her 
to  forego  this  pleasure. 

"  I  was  born  in  a  —  a  small  town,"  she  answered 
coldly.  "  But  I  came  to  the  city  as  soon  as  I  possibly 
could." 

"  Um-hm.  Well,  I  came  when  I  couldn't  possibly 
stay  away.  We  can  agree  on  one  thing  —  we're  all  here. 
Yes,  and  on  another  —  that  that  cake  is  fust-rate.  I'll 
take  a  second  piece,  if  you've  no  objection,  Mrs.  Hep- 
ton." 

When  they  were  alone  once  more,  in  the  captain's 
room,  Pearson  vented  his  indignation. 

"  Why  didn't  you  give  them  as  good  as  they  sent  ?  " 
he  demanded.  "  Couldn't  you  see  they  were  doing  their 
best  to  hurt  your  feelings  ?  " 

"  Ya-as.  I  could  see  it.  Didn't  need  any  specs  to 
see  that." 

"  Then  why  didn't  you  answer  them  as  they  de 
served?  " 

"Oh,  I  don't  know.  What's  the  use?  They've  got 
troubles  of  their  own.  One  of  'em's  a  used-to-be,  and 

237 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

the  other's  a  never-was.  Either  disease  is  bad  enough 
without  addin'  complications." 

Pearson  laughed.  "  I  don't  get  the  whole  of  that, 
Captain,"  he  said.  "  Mrs.  Van  is  the  used-to-be,  I  sup 
pose.  But  what  is  it  that  Miss  Sherborne  never  was  ?  " 

"  Married,"  was  the  prompt  reply.  "  Old  maiditis  is 
creepin'  on  her  fast  You  want  to  be  careful,  Jim ;  a 
certain  kind  of  female  gets  desperate  about  her  stage." 

Pearson  laughed  again. 

"  Oh,  get  out !  "  he  exclaimed,  turning  to  go. 

"All  right!  I  will,  when  you  and  she  are  together 
and  you  give  me  the  signal.  But  I  tell  you  honest,  I'd 
hate  to  do  it.  Judgin'  by  the  way  she  smiles  and  looks 
up  under  her  eye-winkers  at  you,  you're  in  danger  of 
kidnappin'.  So  long.  I'll  see  you  again  after  I  get  my 
dunnage  unpacked." 

The  snubbing  and  sneering  came  to  an  abrupt  end. 
Pearson,  in  conversation  with  Mrs.  Ruggles,  casually 
imparted  the  information  that  Captain  Elisha  was  the 
brother  of  A.  Rodgers  Warren,  late  society  leader  and 
wealthy  broker.  Also,  that  he  had  entire  charge  of  the 
latter's  estate.  Thereafter  Mrs.  Ruggles  treated  the 
captain  as  one  whose  rank  was  equal  to  her  own,  and, 
consequently,  higher  than  anyone's  else  in  the  boarding- 
house.  She  made  it  a  point  to  publicly  ask  his  advice 
concerning  "  securities "  and  "  investments,"  and  fa 
vored  him  with  many  reminiscences  of  her  distinguished 
father,  the  Senator.  Miss  Sherborne,  as  usual,  followed 
her  lead.  Captain  Elisha,  when  Pearson  joked  him  on 
the  altered  behavior  of  the  two  ladies,  merely  grinned. 

"  You  may  thank  me  for  that,  Captain,"  said  the  young 
man.  "  When  I  told  Mrs.  Ruggles  who  and  what  you 
were  she  almost  broke  down  and  sobbed.  The  fact 
that  she  had  risked  offending  one  so  closely  connected 

238 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

with  the  real  thing  on  Fifth  Avenue  and  Wall  Street 
was  too  dreadful.  But  she's  yours  devotedly  now. 
There's  an  i8-karat  crown  on  your  head." 

"  Yup.  I  suppose  so.  Well,  I  ain't  so  sot  up  with 
pride  over  wearin'  that  crown.  It  used  to  belong  to 
'Bije,  and  I  never  did  care  much  for  second-hand  things. 
Rather  have  a  new  sou'wester  of  my  own,  any  day  in 
the  week.  When  I  buy  a  sou'wester  I  know  what  it's 
made  of." 

"  Mrs.  Ruggles  knows  what  the  crown  is  made  of  — 
gold,  nicely  padded  with  bonds  and  preferred  stock." 

"  Humph !  Sometimes  I  wonder  if  the  paddin's  water 
proof.  As  for  the  gold  —  well,  you  can  make  con- 
si  der'ble  shine  with  brass  when  you're  dealin'  with  nigh- 
sighted  folks  .  .  .  and  children." 

To  this  indirect  reference  to  Miss  Warren  and  her 
brother  Pearson  made  no  reply.  The  pair  conversed 
freely  on  other  subjects,  but  each  avoided  this  one. 
The  novel,  too,  was  laid  on  the  shelf  for  the  present. 
Its  author  had  not  yet  mustered  sufficient  courage  to 
return  to  it.  Captain  Elisha  once  or  twice  suggested  a 
session  with  "  Cap'n  Jim,"  but,  finding  his  suggestions 
received  with  more  or  less  indifference,  did  not  press 
them.  His  mind  was  busy  with  other  things.  A  hint 
dropped  by  Sylvester,  the  lawyer,  was  one  of  these.  It 
suggested  alarming  possibilities,  and  his  skepticism  con 
cerning  the  intrinsic  worth  of  his  inherited  "  crown  "  was 
increased  by  it. 

He  paid  frequent  visits  to  the  offices  of  Sylvester, 
Kuhn,  and  Graves  in  Pine  Street.  Upon  the  senior 
partner,  whom  he  esteemed  and  trusted  not  only  as  a 
business  adviser  but  a  friend,  he  depended  for  informa 
tion  concerning  happenings  at  the  Warren  apartment. 

Caroline  sent  him  regular  statements  of  her  weekly 
239 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

expenditures,  also  bills  for  his  approval,  but  she  had 
written  him  but  once,  and  then  only  a  brief  note.  The 
note  brought  by  a  messenger,  accompanied  a  package 
containing  the  chain  which  he  and  Pearson  selected  with 
such  deliberation  and  care  at  the  Fifth  Avenue  jeweler's. 
Under  the  existing  circumstances,  the  girl  wrote,  she 
felt  that  she  did  not  wish  to  accept  presents  from  him 
and  therefore  returned  this  one.  He  was  alone  when 
the  note  and  package  came  and  sat  by  the  window  of  his 
room,  looking  out  at  the  dismal  prospect  of  back  yards 
and  clothes-lines,  turning  the  leather  case  over  and  over 
in  his  hands.  Perhaps  this  was  the  most  miserable  after 
noon  he  had  spent  since  his  arrival  in  the  city.  He  tried 
to  comfort  himself  by  the  exercise  of  his  usual  philos 
ophy,  but  it  was  cold  comfort.  He  had  no  right  to  ex 
pect  gratitude,  so  he  told  himself,  and  the  girl  undoubt 
edly  felt  that  she  was  justified  in  her  treatment  of  him; 
but  it  is  hard  to  be  misunderstood  and  misjudged,  even 
by  one  whose  youth  is,  perhaps,  an  excuse.  He  forgave 
Caroline,  but  he  could  not  forgive  those  who  were  re 
sponsible  for  her  action. 

After  Pearson  had  departed,  on  the  morning  when 
the  conversation  dealing  with  Mrs.  Van  Winkle  Ruggles 
and  her  change  of  attitude  took  place,  Captain  Elisha 
put  on  his  hat  and  coat  and  started  for  his  lawyer's 
office.  Sylvester  was  glad  to  see  him  and  invited  him 
to  lunch. 

"  No,  thank  you,"  replied  the  captain.  "  I  just  run 
down  to  ask  if  there  was  anything  new  in  the  offim'. 
Last  time  I  see  you,  you  hinted  you  and  your  mates  had 
sighted  somethin'  or  other  through  the  fog,  and  it  might 
turn  out  to  be  a  rock  or  a  lighthouse,  you  couldn't  tell 
which.  Made  up  your  mind  yet  ?  " 

Sylvester  shook  his  head.  "  No,"  he  said,  slowly ;  "  it 
240 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

is  still  foggy.  We're  busy  investigating,  but  we're  not 
rettdy  to  report." 

"  Humph !  Well,  what's  the  thing  look  like  ?  You 
must  be  a  little  nigher  to  it  by  now." 

The  lawyer  tapped  his  desk  with  a  pencil.  "  I  don't 
know  x'hat  it  looks  like,"  he  answered.  "  That  is  to 
say,  I  don't  —  I  can't  believe  it  is  what  it  appears,  at 
this  distance,  to  be.  If  it  is,  it  is  the  most — " 

He  paused.  Captain  Elisha  waited  for  him  to  go  on 
and,  when  he  did  not  do  so,  asked  another  question. 

"  The  most  what  ?  "  he  demanded.  "  Is  it  likely  to 
be  very  bad  ?  " 

"  Why  —  why  —  well,  I  can't  say  even  that  yet.  But 
there !  as  I  told  you.  I'm  not  going  to  permit  it  to  worry 
me.  And  you  mustn't  worry,  either.  That's  why  I 
don't  give  you  any  further  particulars.  There  may  be 
nothing  in  it,  after  all." 

His  visitor  smiled.  "  Say,  Mr.  Sylvester,"  he  said, 
"  you're  like  the  young-ones  used  to  be  when  I  was  a 
boy.  There'd  be  a  gang  of  'em  waitin'  by  the  school- 
house  steps  and  when  the  particular  victim  hove  in  sight 
they'd  hail  him  with,  '  Ah,  ha !  you're  goin'  to  get  it ! ' 
'  Wait  till  teacher  sees  you ! '  and  so  on.  Course  the  vic 
tim  would  want  to  know  what  it  meant.  All  the  satis 
faction  he  got  from  them  was,  '  That's  all  right !  You'll 
find  out!  You  just  wait!'  And  the  poor  feller  put  in 
the  time  afore  the  bell  rung  goin'  over  all  the  things  he 
shouldn't  have  done  and  had,  and  wonderin'  which  it 
was  this  time.  You  hinted  to  me  a  week  ago  that  there 
was  a  surprisin'  possibility  loomin'  up  in  'Bije's  finan 
cial  affairs.  And  ever  since  then  I've  been  puzzlin'  my 
brains  tryin'  to  guess  what  could  happen.  Ain't  dis 
covered  any  more  of  those  Cut  Short  bonds,  have  you?  " 

The  bonds  to  which  he  referred  were  those  of  a  de- 
241 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

funct  Short  Line  railroad.  A  large  number  of  these 
bonds  had  been  discovered  among  A.  Rodgers  Warren's 
effects ;  part  of  his  "  tangled  assets,"  the  captain  had 
termed  them,  differentiating  from  the  "  tangible " 
variety. 

"  Abbie,  my  housekeeper,  has  been  writin'  me,"  he 
went  on,  "  about  havin'  the  sewin'  room  papered.  She 
wants  my  advice  concernin'  the  style  of  paper;  says  it 
ought  to  be  pretty  and  out  of  the  common,  but  not  too 
expensive.  I  judge  what  she  wants  is  somethin'  that 
looks  like  money  but  ain't  really  wuth  more  than  ten* 
cents  a  mile.  I've  been  thinkin'  I'd  send  her  a  bale  or 
so  of  those  bonds;  they'd  fill  the  bill  in  those  respects, 
wouldn't  they?" 

Sylvester  laughed.  "  They  certainly  would,  Captain," 
he  replied.  "  No,  we  haven't  unearthed  any  more  of 
that  sort.  And,  as  for  this  mystery  of  ours,  I'll  give 
you  the  answer  —  if  it's  worth  giving  at  all,  in  a  very 
short  time.  Meanwhile,  you  go  home  and  forget  it." 

"  Well,  I'll  try.  But  I  guess  it  sticks  out  on  my  face, 
like  a  four  days'  toothache.  But  I  won't  worry  about 
that.  You  know  best  whether  to  tell  me  now  or  not, 
and  —  well,  I'm  carryin'  about  all  the  worry  my  ton- 
nage'll  stand,  as  'tis." 

He  drew  a  long  breath.  Sylvester  regarded  him  sym 
pathetically. 

"  You  mustn't  take  your  nephew's  and  niece's  treat 
ment  too  much  to  heart,"  he  said. 

"  Oh,  I  don't.  That  is,  I  pretend  I  don't.  And  I  do 
try  not  to.  But  I  keep  thinkin',  thinkin',  and  wonderin' 
if  'twould  have  been  better  if  I  hadn't  gone  there  to  live 
at  all.  Hi  hum !  a  man  of  my  age  hadn't  ought  to  mind 
what  a  twenty-year-old  girl  says,  or  does;  'specially 
when  her  kind,  advisin'  friends  have  shown  her  how 

242 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

she's  been  deceived  and  hypocrit-ted.  By  the  way, 
speakin'  of  hypocrites,  I  suppose  there's  just  as  much 
4  Dunnin' '  as  ever  goin'  on  up  there  ?  " 

"  Yes.  A  little  more,  if  anything,  I'm  afraid.  Your 
niece  and  Mrs.  Dunn  and  her  precious  son  are  together 
now  so  constantly  that  people  are  expecting  —  well,  you 
know  what  they  expect." 

"  I  can  guess.     I  hope  they'll  be  disapp'inted." 

"  So  do  I,  but  I  must  confess  I'm  fearful.  Malcolm 
himself  isn't  so  wise,  but  his  mother  is  — " 

44  A  whole  Book  of  Proverbs,  hey  ?  I  know.  She's, 
an  able  old  frigate.  I  did  think  I  had  her  guns  spiked, 
but  she  turned  'em  on  me  unexpected.  I  thought  I  had 
her  and  her  boy  in  a  clove  hitch.  I  knew  somethin' 
that  I  was  sartin  sure  they  wouldn't  want  Caroline  to 
know,  and  she  and  Malcolm  knew  I  knew  it.  Her  tellin' 
Caroline  of  it,  her  story  of  it,  when  I  wasn't  there  to 
contradict,  was  as  smart  a  piece  of  maneuverin'  as  ever 
was.  It  took  the  wind  out  of  my  sails,  because,  though 
I'm  just  as  right  as  I  ever  was,  Caroline  wouldn't  listen 
to  me,  nor  believe  me,  now." 

"  She'll  learn  by  experience." 

"  Yup,  But  learnin'  by  experience  is  a  good  deal  like 
shippin'  green  afore  the  mast ;  it'll  make  an  able  sea 
man  of  you,  if  it  don't  kill  you  fust.  When  I  was  a 
boy  there  was  a  man  in  our  town  name  of  Nickerson 
Cummin's.  He  was  mate  of  a  ship  and  smart  as  a  red 
pepper  poultice  on  a  skinned  heel.  He  was  a  great 
churchgoer  when  he  was  ashore  and  always  preachin' 
brotherly  love  and  kindness  and  pattin'  us  little  shavers 
on  the  head,  and  so  on.  Most  of  the  grown  folks 
thought  he  was  a  sort  of  saint,  and  I  thought  he  was 
more  than  that.  I'd  have  worshiped  him,  I  cal'late,  if 
my  Methodist  trainin'  would  have  allowed  me  to  wor- 

243 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

ship  anybody  who  wa'n't  named  in  Scriptur'.  If  there'd 
been  an  apostle  or  a  prophet  christened  Nickerson  I'd 
have  fell  on  my  knees  to  this  Cummin's  man,  sure.  So, 
when  I  went  to  sea  as  a  cabin  boy,  a  tow-headed  snub- 
nosed  little  chap  of  fourteen,  I  was  as  happy  as  a  clam 
at  highwater  'cause  I  was  goin'  in  the  ship  he  was  mate 
of." 

He  paused.  There  was  a  frown  on  his  face,  and  his 
lower  jaw  was  thrust  forward  grimly. 

"  Well  ?  "  inquired  Sylvester.     "  What  happened  ?  " 

"  Hey  ?  Oh,  excuse  me.  When  I  get  to  thinkin'  of 
that  v'yage  I  simmer  inside,  like  a  teakettle  on  a  hot 
stove.  The  second  day  out  —  seasick  and  homesick  and 
so  miserable  I  wished  I  could  die  all  at  once  instead  of 
by  lingerin'  spasms  —  I  dropped  a  dish  on  the  cabin  floor 
and  broke  it.  Cummin's  was  alone  with  me,  eatin'  his 
dinner ;  and  he  jumped  out  of  his  chair  when  I  stooped 
to  pick  up  the  pieces  and  kicked  me  under  the  table. 
When  I  crawled  out,  he  kicked  me  again  and  kept  it 
up.  When  his  foot  got  tired  he  used  his  fist.  *  There ! ' 
says  he  between  his  teeth,  *  I  cal'late  that'll  learn  you  that 
crockery  costs  money.' 

"  It  did.  I  never  broke  anything  else  aboard  that  ship. 
Cummin's  was  a  bully  and  a  sneak  to  everybody  but  the 
old  man,  and  a  toady  to  him.  He  never  struck  me  or 
anybody  else  when  the  skipper  was  around,  but  there  was 
nothin'  too  mean  for  him  to  do  when  he  thought  he  had 
a  safe  chance.  And  he  took  pains  to  let  me  know  that 
if  I  ever  told  a  soul  at  home  he'd  kill  me.  I'd  learned 
by  experience,  not  only  about  the  price  of  crockery,  but 
other  things,  things  that  a  youngster  ought  not  to  learn 
—  how  to  hate  a  man  so  that  you  can  wait  years  to  get 
even  with  him,  for  one.  I'm  sorry  I  learned  that,  and," 
dryly,  "  so  was  Cummin's,  later.  But  I  did  learn,  once 

244 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

and  for  all,  not  to  take  folks  on  trust,  nor  to  size  'em  up 
by  their  outside,  or  the  noise  they  make  in  prayer- 
meetin',  nor  the  way  they  can  spread  soft  soap  when 
they  think  it's  necessary.  I'd  learned  that,  and  I'd 
learned  it  early  enough  to  be  of  use  to  me,  which  was 
a  mercy. 

"  It  was  a  hard  lesson  for  me,"  he  added,  reflec 
tively  ;  "  but  I  managed  to  come  out  of  it  without  let- 
tin'  it  bitter  my  whole  life.  I  don't  mind  so  much  Caro 
line's  bein'  down  on  me.  She'll  know  better  some  day, 
I  hope;  and  if  she  don't  —  well,  I'm  only  a  side-issue 
in  her  life,  anyhow,  hove  in  by  accident,  like  the  sec 
tion  of  dog  collar  in  the  sassage.  But  I  do  hope  her 
learnin'  by  experience  won't  come  too  late  to  save  her 
from  .  .  .  what  she'll  be  awful  sorry  for  by  and 
by." 

"  It  must,"  declared  the  lawyer,  with  decision.  "  You 
must  see  to  it,  Captain  Warren.  You  are  her  guardian. 
She  is  absolutely  under  your  charge.  She  can  do  noth 
ing  of  importance  unless  you  consent." 

"  Yup.  That's  so  —  for  one  more  year  *  just  one,  re 
member  !  Then  she'll  be  of  age,  and  I  can't  say  '  Boo ! ' 
And  her  share  of  'Bije's  money'll  be  hers,  too.  And 
don't  you  believe  that  that  fact  has  slipped  Sister  Dunn's 
memory.  I  ain't  on  deck  to  head  her  off  now ;  if  she 
puts  Malcolm  up  to  gettin'  Caroline  to  give  her  word, 
and  Caroline  gives  it  —  well,  I  know  my  niece.  She's 
honorable,  and  she'll  stick  to  her  promise  if  it  runs  her 
on  the  rocks.  And  Her  Majesty  Dunn  knows  that,  too. 
Therefore,  the  cat  bein'  away,  she  cal'lates  now's  the 
time  to  make  sure  of  the  cheese." 

"  But  the  cat  can  come  back.  The  song  says  it  did, 
you  know." 

"  Um-hm.  And  got  another  kick,  I  shouldn't  won- 
245 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

der.  However,  my  claws'll  stay  sharp  for  a  year  or 
thereabouts,  and,  if  it  comes  to  a  shindy,  there'll  be 
some  tall  scratchin'  afore  I  climb  a  tree.  Keep  a 
weather  eye  on  what  goes  on,  won't  you  ?  " 

"  I  will.    You  can  depend  on  me." 

"  I  do.  And  say !  for  goodness'  sakes  put  me  out  of 
my  misery  regardin'  that  rock  or  lighthouse  on  'Bije's 
chart,  scon's  ever  you  settle  which  it  is." 

"  Certainly !  And,  remember,  don't  worry.  It  may 
be  a  lighthouse,  or  nothing  at  all.  At  all  events,  I'll  re 
port  very  soon." 


CHAPTER  XVI 

BUT,  in  spite  of  his  promise,  Sylvester  did  not  re 
port  during  the  following  week  or  the  next. 
Meanwhile,  his  client  tried  his  best  to  keep  the 
new  mystery  from  troubling  his  thoughts,  and  succeeded 
only  partially.  The  captain's  days  and  evenings  were 
quiet  and  monotonous.  He  borrowed  a  book  or  two 
from  Mrs.  Hepton's  meager  library,  read,  walked  a  good 
deal,  generally  along  the  water  front,  and  wrote  daily 
letters  to  Miss  Baker.  He  and  Pearson  were  together 
for  at  least  a  portion  of  each  day.  The  author,  fighting 
down  his  dejection  and  discouragement,  set  himself 
resolutely  to  work  once  more  on  the  novel,  and  Lis 
nautical  adviser  was  called  in  for  frequent  consultation. 
The  story,  however,  progressed  but  slowly.  There  was 
something  lacking.  Each  knew  what  that  something 
was,  but  neither  named  it. 

One  evening  Pearson  entered  the  room  tenanted  by 
his  friend  to  find  the  latter  seated  beside  the  table,  his 
shoes  partially  unlaced,  and  a  pair  of  big  slippers  ready 
for  putting  on. 

"  Captain,"  said  the  visitor,  "  you  look  so  comfortable 
I  hate  to  disturb  you." 

Captain  Elisha,  red-faced  and  panting,  desisted  from 
the  unlacing  and  straightened  in  his  chair. 

"  Whew !  "  he  puffed.  "  Jim,  your  remarks  prove  that 
your  experience  of  the  world  ain't  as  big  as  it  ought  to 
be.  When  you  get  to  my  age  and  waist  measure  you'll 
realize  that  stoopin'  over  and  comfort  don't  go  together. 

247 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

I  hope  to  be  comfortable  pretty  soon;  but  I  sha'n't  be 
till  them  boots  are  off.  Set  down.  The  agony'll  be  over 
in  a  minute." 

Pearson  declined  to  sit.  "  Not  yet,"  he  said.  "  And 
you  let  those  shoes  alone,  until  you  hear  what  I've  got 
to  say.  A  newspaper  friend  of  mine  has  sent  me  two 
tickets  for  the  opera  to-night.  I  want  you  to  go  with 
me." 

Captain  Elisha  was  surprised. 

"  To  the  opera  ?  "  he  repeated.  "  Why,  that's  a  —  a 
sort  of  singin'  theater  ain't  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  you're  fond  of  music ;  you  told  me  so.  And 
Aida  is  beautiful.  Come  on !  it  will  do  us  both  good." 

"Hum!     Well,  I  don't  know." 

"I  do.     Get  ready." 

The  captain  looked  at  his  caller's  evening  clothes. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  gettin'  ready  ? "  he  asked. 
"  You've  got  on  your  regimentals,  open  front  and  all. 
My  uniform  is  the  huntin'  case  kind;  fits  in  better  with 
church  sociables  and  South  Denboro  no'theasters.  If  I 
wore  one  of  those  vests  like  yours  Abbie'd  make  me 
put  on  a  red  flannel  lung-protector  to  keep  from  catchin' 
pneumonia.  And  she'd  think  'twas  sinful  waste  besides, 
runnin'  the  risk  of  sp'ilin'  a  clean  biled  shirt  so  quick. 
Won't  I  look  like  an  undertaker,  sittin'  alongside  of 
you?" 

"  Not  a  bit.  If  it  will  ease  your  mind  I'll  change 
to  a  business  suit." 

"  I  don't  care.  You  know  how  I  feel ;  we  had  a  little 
talk  about  hats  a  spell  ago,  you  remember.  If  you're 
willin'  to  take  me  '  just  as  I  am,  without  a  plea,'  as  the 
hymn-tune  says,  why,  I  cal'late  I'll  say  yes  and  go.  Set 
down  and  wait  while  I  get  on  my  ceremonials." 

He  retired  to  the  curtain  alcove,  and  Pearson  heard 
248 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

him  rustling  about,  evidently  making  a  hurried  change 
of  raiment.  During  this  process  lie  talked  continu 
ously. 

"  Jim,"  he  said,  "  I  ain't  been  to  the  theater  but  once 
since  I  landed  in  New  York.  Then  I  went  to  see  a  play 
named  '  The  Heart  of  a  Sailor.'  Ha !  ha !  that  was  a 
great  show !  Ever  take  it  in,  did  you  ?  " 

"  No.     I  never  did." 

"  Well,  you'd  ought  to.  It's  a  wonder  of  it's  kind. 
I  learned  more  things  about  life-savin'  and  'longshore 
life  from  that  drayma  than  you'd  believe  was  possible. 
You'd  have  got  some  p'ints  for  your  Cap'n  Jim  yarn 
from  that  play ;  you  sartin  would !  Yes,  indeed !  Way 
I  happened  to  go  to  it  was  on  account  of  seein'  a  poster 
on  a  fence  over  nigh  where  that  Moriarty  tribe  lived. 
The  poster  pictured  a  bark  ashore,  on  her  beam  ends, 
in  a  sea  like  those  off  the  Horn.  On  the  beach  was  a 
whole  parcel  of  life-savers  firin'  off  rockets  and  blue 
lights.  Keepin'  the  Fourth  of  July,  I  judged  they  was, 
for  I  couldn't  see  any  other  reason.  The  bark  wa'n't 
more'n  a  hundred  foot  from  'em,  and  if  all  hands  on 
board  didn't  know  they  was  in  trouble  by  that  time,  then 
they  deserved  to  drown.  Anyhow,  they  wa'n't  likely 
to  appreciate  the  celebration.  Ho!  ho!  Well,  when  I 
run  afoul  of  that  poster  I  felt  I  hadn't  ought  to  let  any 
thing  like  that  get  away;  so  I  hunted  up  the  theater  — 
it  wa'n't  but  a  little  ways  off  —  and  got  a  front  seat  for 
that  very  afternoon." 

"Was  it  up  to  the  advertising?"  asked  Pearson. 

"  Was  it  ?  Hi  hum !  I  wish  you'd  been  there. 
More  'special  I  wished  some  of  the  folks  from  home 
had  been  there,  for  the  whole  business  was  supposed  to 
happen  on  the  Cape,  and  they'd  have  realized  how  igno 
rant  we  are  about  the  place  we  live  in.  The  hero  was  a 

249 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

strappin'  six-footer,  sort  of  a  combination  fisherman 
and  parson,  seemed  so.  He  wore  ileskins  in  fair  weather 
and  went  around  preachin'  or  defy  in'  folks  that  provoked 
him  and  makin'  love  to  the  daughter  of  a  long-haired  old 
relic  that  called  himself  an  inventor.  .  .  .  Oh,  con- 
sarn  it ! " 

"What's  the  matter?" 

"  Dropped  my  collar  button,  as  usual.  Collar  but 
tons  are  one  of  the  Old  Harry's  pet  traps.  I'll  bet  their 
responsible  for  'most  as  many  lapses  from  grace  as 
tangled  fishlines.  Where  .  .  .  Ow!  ...  All 
right;  I  found  it  —  with  my  bare  foot,  and  edge  up,  of 
course." 

A  series  of  grunts  and  short-breathed  exclamations 
followed,  indicating  that  the  sufferer  was  struggling  with 
a  tight  collar. 

"  Go  on,"  commanded  Pearson.  "  Tell  me  some  more 
about  the  play." 

"  Hey  ?    Oh,  the  play.    Where  was  I  ?  " 

"  You  were  saying  that  the  heroine's  father  was  an 
inventor." 

"  That's  what  he  said  he  was,  though  he  never  fur 
nished  any  proof.  His  daughter  helped  him  with  his  in 
ventions,  but  if  she'd  cut  his  hair  once  in  a  while  'twould 
have  been  a  better  way  of  puttin'  in  the  time,  'cordin' 
to  my  notion.  And  there  was  a  rich  squire,  who  made 
his  money  by  speculatin'  in  wickedness,  and  a  mortgage, 
and  —  I  don't  know  what  all.  And  those  Cape  Cod 
folks !  and  the  houses  they  lived  in !  and  the  way  they 
talked!  Oh,  dear!  oh,  dear!  I  got  my  money's  wuth 
that  afternoon." 

"  What  about  the  wreck  ?     How  did  that  happen  ?  " 

"  Don't  know.  It  happened  'cause  it  had  to  be  in 
the  play,  I  cal'late.  The  mortgage,  or  an  '  invention ' 

250 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

c«r  something  was  on  board  the  bark  and  just  naturally 
took  a  short  cut  for  home,  way  I  figgered  it  out.  But, 
Jim,  you  ought  to  have  seen  that  hero!  He  peeled  off 
his  ileskin-slicker  —  he'd  kept  it  on  all  through  the  sun 
shine,  but  now,  when  'twas  rainin'  and  rainin'  and 
wreckin'  and  thunderin',  he  shed  it  —  and  jumped  in  and 
saved  all  hands  and  the  ship's  cat.  'Twas  great  busi 
ness  !  No  wonder  the  life-savers  set  off  fireworks ! 
And  thunder!  Why,  say,  it  never  stopped  thunderin' 
in  that  storm  except  when  somebody  had  to  make  a 
heroic  speech;  then  it  let  up  and  give  'em  a  chance. 
Most  considerate  thunder  ever  I  heard.  And  the 
lightnin' !  and  the  way  the  dust  flew  from  the  breakers ! 
I  was  glad  I  went.  .  .  .  There ! "  appearing  fully 
dressed  from  behind  the  curtains.  "  I'm  ready  if  you 
are.  Did  I  talk  your  head  off  ?  I  ask  your  pardon ;  but 
that  *  Heart  of  a  Sailor '  touched  mine,  I  guess.  I  know 
I  was  afraid  I'd  laugh  until  it  stopped  beatin'.  And  all 
around  the  people  were  cryin'.  It  was  enough  sight 
damper  amongst  the  seats  than  in  those  cloth  waves." 

The  pair  walked  over  to  Broadway,  boarded  a  street 
car,  and  alighted  before  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House. 
Pearson's  seats  were  good  ones,  well  down  in  the 
orchestra.  Captain  Elisha  turned  and  surveyed  the 
great  interior  and  the  brilliantly  garbed  audience. 

"  Whew !  "  he  muttered.  "  This  is  considerable  of 
a  show  in  itself,  Jim.  They  could  put  our  town  hall 
rnside  here  and  the  folks  on  the  roof  wouldn't  be  so 
high  as  those  in  that  main  skys'l  gallery  up  aloft  there. 
Can  they  see  or  hear,  do  you  think  ?  " 

"  Oh,  yes.  The  accepted  idea  is  that  they  are  the 
real  music  lovers.  They  come  for  the  opera  itself. 
Some  of  the  others  come  because  —  well,  because  it  is 
the  proper  thing." 

17  251 


"  Yes,  yes ;  I  see.  That's  the  real  article  right  over 
our  heads,  I  suppose." 

"Yes.     That's  the  'Diamond  Horseshoe.'" 

"  All  proper  things  there,  hey  ?  " 

"  Why  —  er  —  yes,  I  suppose  so.  What  makes  you 
ask?"  ' 

"  Nothing  much.  I  was  thinking  'twas  better  Abbie 
wa'n't  along  on  this  cruise.  She'd  probably  want  to 
put  an  '  im '  in  front  of  that  '  proper.'  I  envy  those 
women,  Jim;  they  didn't  have  to  stop  to  hunt  up  collar 
buttons,  did  they." 

He  was  silent  during  the  first  act  of  the  opera.  When 
the  curtain  fell  his  companion  asked  how  he  liked  it. 

"  Good  singin',"  he  replied ;  "  best  I  ever  heard.  Do 
you  understand  what  they  say  ?  " 

"  No.  But  I'm  familiar  with  the  story  of  Aida,  of 
course.  It's  a  favorite  of  mine.  And  the  words  don't 
really  matter." 

"  I  suppose  not.  It's  the  way  they  say  it.  I  had  an 
Irishman  workin'  round  my  barn  once,  and  Tim  Bailey 
drove  down  from  Bayport  to  see  me.  I  was  out  and 
Tim  and  the  Irishman  run  afoul  of  each  other.  Tim 
stuttered  so  that  he  made  a  noise  when  he  talked  like 
one  of  these  gasoline  bicycles  goin'  by.  He  watched 
Mike  sweepin'  out  the  horse  stall  and  he  says,  '  You're 
a  pup  —  pup  ...  I  say  you're  a  pup — /  He 
didn't  get  any  further  'cause  Mike  went  for  him  with 
the  broom.  Turned  out  later  that  he  was  tryin'  to  com 
pliment  that  Irishman  by  sayin'  he  was  a  particular  sort 
of  feller.  These  folks  on  the  stage  might  be  sayin' 
most  anythin',  and  I  wouldn't  know  it.  But  I  sha'n't 
knock  'em  down,  for  I  like  the  way  it's  said.  When  the 
Almighty  give  us  music  he  more  than  made  up  for 
makin'  us  subject  to  toothache,  didn't  he." 

252 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Pearson  bought  a  copy  of  the  libretto,  and  the  cap 
tain  followed  the  performance  of  the  next  two  acts  with 
interest. 

"  Say,  Jim,"  he  whispered,  with  a  broad  grin,  "  it's 
a  good  thing  this  opera  idea  ain't  carried  into  real  life. 
If  you  had  to  sing  every  word  you  said  'twould  be  sort  of 
distressing  'specially  if  you  was  in  a  hurry.  A  fust-rate 
solo  when  you  was  orderin'  the  crew  to  shorten  sail 
would  be  a  high  old  brimstone  anthem,  I'll  bet  you.  And 
think  of  the  dinner  table  at  our  boardin'  house!  Mrs. 
Van  and  C.  Dickens  both  goin'  at  once,  and  Marm  Hepton 
serenadin'  the  waiter  girl !  Ho !  ho !  A  cat  fight 
wouldn't  be  a  circumstance." 

Between  the  third  and  the  fourth  acts  the  pair  went 
out  into  the  foyer,  where,  ascending  to  the  next  floor, 
they  made  the  round  of  the  long  curve  behind  the  boxes, 
Pearson  pointing  out  to  his  friend  the  names  of  the  box 
lessees  on  the  brass  plates. 

"  There !  "  he  observed,  as,  the  half  circle  completed, 
they  turned  and  strolled  back  again,  "  isn't  that  an  im 
posing  list,  Captain?  Don't , you  feel  as  if  you  were 
close  to  the  real  thing?" 

"Godfreys  mighty!"  was  the  solemn  reply;  "I  was 
just  thinkin'  I  felt  as  if  I'd  been  readin'  one  of  those 
muck-rakin'  yarns  in  the  magazines !  " 

The  foyer  had  its  usual  animated  crowd,  and  among 
them  Pearson  recognized  a  critic  of  his  acquaintance. 
He  offered  to  introduce  the  captain,  but  the  latter  de 
clined  the  honor,  saying  that  he  cal'lated  he  wouldn't 
shove  his  bows  in  this  time.  "  You  heave  ahead  and 
see  your  friend,  Jim,"  he  added.  "  I'll  come  to  anchor 
by  this  pillar  and  watch  the  fleet  go  by.  I'll  have  to 
write  Abbie  about  all  this ;  she'll  want  to  know  how 
the  female  craft  was  rigged." 

253 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Left  alone,  he  leaned  against  the  pillar  and  watched 
the  people  pass  and  repass  just  behind  him.  Two  young 
men  paused  just  behind  him.  He  could  not  help  over 
hearing  their  conversation. 

"  I  presume  you've  heard  the  news  ? "  asked  one, 
casually. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  other,  "  I  have.  That  is,  if  you 
mean  the  news  concerning  Mai  Dunn.  The  mater 
learned  it  this  afternoon  and  sprung  it  at  dinner.  No 
one  was  greatly  surprised.  Formal  announcement  made, 
and  all  that  sort  of  thing,  I  believe.  Mai's  to  be  con 
gratulated." 

"  His  mother  is,  you  mean.  She  managed  the  cam 
paign.  The  old  lady  is  some  strategist,  and  I'd  back 
her  to  win  under  ordinary  circumstances.  But  I  under 
stand  these  were  not  ordinary;  wise  owl  of  a  guardian 
to  be  circumvented,  or  something  of  that  sort." 

"  From  what  I  hear  the  Dunns  haven't  won  so  much 
after  all.  There  was  a  big  shrinkage  when  papa  died,  so 
they  say.  Instead  of  three  or  four  millions  it  panned 
out  to  be  a  good  deal  less  than  one.  I  don't  know  much 
about  it,  because  our  family  and  theirs  have  drifted  apart 
since  they  moved." 

"  Humph !  I  imagine  whatever  the  pan-out  it  will 
be  welcome.  The  Dunns  are  dangerously  close  to  the 
ragged  edge ;  everybody  has  been  on  to  that  for  some 
time.  And  it  takes  a  few  ducats  to  keep  Mai  going. 
He's  no  Uncle  Russell  when  it  comes  to  putting  by  for 
the  rainy  day." 

"  Well,  on  the  whole,  I'm  rather  sorry  for  —  the 
other  party.  Mai  is  a  good  enough  fellow,  and  he  cer 
tainly  is  a  game  sport ;  but  — " 

They  moved  on,  and  Captain  Elisha  heard  no  more. 
But  what  he  had  heard  was  quite  sufficient.  He  sat 

254 


CAP'N  WARDEN'S  WARDS 

through  the  remainder  of  the  opera  in  silence  and  an 
swered  all  his  friend's  questions  and  remarks  curtly  and 
absently. 

As  they  stepped  into  the  trolley  Pearson  bought  an 
evening  paper,  not  the  Planet,  but  a  dignified  sheet 
which  shunned  sensationalism  and  devoted  much  space 
to  the  doings  of  the  safe,  sane,  and  ultra-respectable 
element.  Perceiving  that  his  companion,  for  some  rea 
son,  did  not  care  to  talk,  he  read  as  the  car  moved 
downtown.  Suddenly  Captain  Elisha  was  awakened 
from  his  reverie  by  hearing  his  friend  utter  an  ex 
clamation.  Looking  up,  the  captain  saw  that  he  was 
leaning  back  in  the  seat,  the  paper  lying  unheeded  in  his 
lap. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  asked  the  older  man,  anxiously. 

Pearson  started,  glanced  quickly  at  his  friend,  hesi 
tated,  and  looked  down  again. 

"Nothing  —  now,"  he  answered,  brusquely.  "We 
get  out  here.  Come." 

He  rose,  picked  up  the  paper  with  a  hand  that  shook 
a  little,  and  led  the  way  to  the  door  of  the  car.  Captain 
Elisha  followed,  and  they  strode  up  the  deserted  side 
street.  Pearson  walked  so  rapidly  that  his  companion 
was  hard  pushed  to  keep  pace  with  him.  When  they 
stood  together  in  the  dimly  lit  hall  of  the  boarding 
house,  the  captain  spoke  again. 

"Well,  Jim,"  he  asked  in  a  low  tone,  "what  is  it? 
You  may  as  well  tell  me.  Maybe  I  can  guess,  anyhow." 

The  young  man  reached  up  and  turned  the  gas  full 
on.  In  spite  of  the  cold  from  which  they  had  just  come, 
his  face  was  white.  He  folded  the  paper  in  his  hand, 
and  with  his  forefinger  pointed  to  its  uppermost  page. 

"  There  it  is,"  he  said.     "  Read  it." 

Captain  Elisha  took  the  paper,  drew  his  spectacle  case 
255 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

from  his  pocket,  adjusted  his  glasses  and  read.  The 
item  was  among  those  under  the  head  of  "  Personal  and 
Social."  It  was  what  he  expected.  "  The  engagement 
is  to-day  announced  of  Miss  Caroline  Warren,  daughter 
of  the  late  A.  Rodgers  Warren,  the  well-known  broker, 
to  Mr.  Malcolm  Corcoran  Dunn,  of  Fifth  Avenue. 
Miss  Warren,  it  will  be  remembered,  was  one  of  the 
most  charming  of  our  season-be  fore-last's  debutantes 
and — "  etc. 

The  captain  read  the  brief  item  through. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  slowly,  "  I  see." 

Pearson  looked  at  him  in  amazement. 

"You  see!"  he  repeated.  "You  —  Why!  Did  you 
know  it?" 

"  I've  been  afraid  of  it  for  some  time.  To-night, 
when  you  left  me  alone  there  in  the  quarter-deck  of  that 
opera  house,  I  happened  to  hear  two  young  chaps  talkin' 
about  it.  So  you  might  say  I  knew  —  Yes." 

"  Good  heavens !  and  you  can  stand  there  and  — 
What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  —  yet." 

"  Are  you  going  to  permit  her  to  marry  that  —  that 
fellow  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  ain't  sartin  that  I  can  stop  her." 

"  My  God,  man !  Do  you  realize  —  and  she  —  your 
niece  —  why  — " 

"  There !  there !  Jim.  I  realize  it  all,  I  cal'late.  It's 
my  business  to  realize  it." 

"  And  it  isn't  mine.  No,  of  course  it  isn't ;  you're 
right  there." 

He  turned  and  strode  toward  the  foot  of  the  stairs. 

"  Hold  on !  "  commanded  the  captain.  "  Hold  on, 
Jim !  Don't  you  go  off  ha'f  cocked.  Wrhen  I  said 
'twas  my  business  to  realize  this  thing,  I  meant  just 

256 


CAPTN  WARREN'S  WARDS 

that  and  nothin'  more.  I  wa'n't  hintin',  and  ycm  ought 
to  know  it.  You  do  know  it,  don't  you  ?  " 

The  young  man  paused.  "  Yes,"  he  answered,  after 
an  instant's  struggle  with  his  feelings ;  "  yes,  I  do.  I 
beg  your  pardon,  Captain." 

"  All  right.  And  here's  somethin'  else ;  I  just  told 
you  I  wasn't  sartin  I  could  stop  the  marriage.  That's 
the  truth.  But  I  don't  recollect  sayin'  I'd  actually 
hauled  down  the  colors,  not  yet.  Good  night." 

"  Good  night,  Captain.  I  shouldn't  have  misunder 
stood  you,  of  course.  But,  as  you  know,  I  respected  and 
admired  your  niece.  And  this  thing  has  —  has — " 

"  Sort  of  knocked  you  on  your  beam  ends,  I  under 
stand.  Well,  Jim,"  with  a  sigh,  "  I  ain't  exactly  on 
an  even  keel  myself." 

They  separated,  Pearson  going  to  his  room.  As  Cap 
tain  Elisha  was  passing  through  the  hall  on  the  second 
floor,  he  heard  someone  calling  him  by  name.  Turning, 
he  saw  his  landlady's  head,  bristling  with  curl  papers, 
protruding  from  behind  the  door  at  the  other  end  of  the 
passage. 

"  Captain  Warren,"  she  asked,  "  is  that  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  replied  the  captain,  turning  back. 

"  Well,  I've  got  a  message  for  you.  A  Mr.  Sylvester 
has  'phoned  you  twice  this  evening.  He  wishes  to  see 
you  at  his  office  at  the  earliest  possible  moment.  He 
says  it  is  very  important." 


CHAPTER  XVII 

NINE  o'clock  is  an  early  hour  for  a  New  York 
lawyer  of  prominence  to  be  at  his  place  of 
business.  Yet,  when  Captain  Elisha  asked 
the  office  boy  of  Sylvester,  Kuhn  and  Graves  if  the 
senior  partner  was  in,  he  received  an  affirmative  answer. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Tim,  respectfully.  His  manner  to 
ward  the  captain  had  changed  surprisingly  since  the  lat- 
ter's  first  call.  "  Yes,  sir ;  Mr.  Sylvester's  in.  He 
expects  you.  I'll  tell  him  you're  here.  Sit  down  and 
wait,  please." 

Captain  Elisha  sat  down,  but  he  did  not  have  to  wait 
long.  The  boy  returned  at  once  and  ushered  him  into 
the  private  office.  Sylvester  welcomed  him  gravely. 

"  You  got  my  message,  then,"  he  said.  "  I  spent  hours 
last  evening  chasing  you  by  'phone.  And  I  was  pre 
pared  to  begin  again  this  morning." 

"So?  That's  why  you're  on  deck  so  early?  Didn't 
sleep  here,  did  you?  Well,  I  cal'late  I  know  what  you 
want  to  talk  about.  You  ain't  the  only  one  that  reads 
the  newspapers." 

"  The  newspapers  ?  Great  heavens !  it  isn't  in  the 
newspapers,  is  it?  It  can't  be !  " 

He  seemed  much  perturbed.  Captain  Elisha  looked 
puzzled. 

"  Course  it  is,"  he  said.  "  But  I  heard  it  afore  I  saw 
it.  Perhaps  you  think  I  take  it  pretty  easy.  Maybe 
I  act  as  if  I  did.  But  you  expected  it,  and  so  did  I,  so 
we  ain't  exactly  surprised.  And,"  seriously,  "  I  realize 

258 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

that  it's  no  joke  as  well  as  you  do.  But  we've  got  a  year 
to  fight  in,  and  now  we  must  plan  the  campaign.  I  did 
cal'late  to  see  Caroline  this  mornin'.  Then,  if  I  heard 
from  her  own  lips  that  'twas  actually  so,  I  didn't  know's 
I  wouldn't  drop  in  and  give  Sister  Corcoran-Queen- 
Victoria-Dunn  a  few  plain  facts  about  it  not  bein'  a 
healthy  investment  to  hurry  matters.  You're  wantin' 
to  see  me  headed  me  off,  and  I  come  here  instead." 

The  lawyer  looked  at  him  in  astonishment. 

"  See  here,  Captain  Warren,"  he  demanded,  "  what 
do  you  imagine  I  asked  you  to  come  here  for?" 

"  Why,  to  talk  about  that  miserable  engagement,  sartin. 
Poor  girl!  I've  been  awake  ha'f  the  night  thinkin'  of 
the  mess  she's  been  led  into.  And  she  believes  she's 
happy,  I  suppose." 

Sylvester  shook  his  head.  "  I  see,"  he  said,  slowly. 
"  You  would  think  it  that,  naturally.  No,  Captain,  it 
isn't  the  engagement.  It's  more  serious  than  that." 

"  More  serious  than  —  more  serious !  Why,  what  on 
earth?  Hey?  Mr.  Sylvester,  has  that  rock-lighthouse 
business  come  to  somethin'  after  all  ?  " 

The  lawyer  nodded.     "  It  has,"  he  replied. 

"  I  want  to  know !  And  I'd  almost  forgot  it,  not 
hearin'  from  you.  It's  a  rock,  too,  I  judge,  by  the  looks 
of  your  face.  Humph!  .  .  .  Is  it  very  bad ?" 

"  I'm  afraid  so." 

The  captain  pulled  his  beard.  "  Well,"  he  said, 
wearily,  after  a  moment,  "  I  guess  likely  I  can  bear  it. 
I've  had  to  bear  some  things  in  my  time.  Anyhow, 
I'll  try.  Heave  ahead  and  get  it  over  with.  I'm  ready." 

Instead  of  answering,  Sylvester  pushed  an  electric 
button  on  his  desk.  The  office  boy  answered  the  ring. 

"  Have  Mr.  Kuhn  and  Mr.  Graves  arrived  ?  "  asked 
the  lawyer. 

259 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Yes,  sir.     Both  of  them,  sir." 

"  Tell  them  Captain  Warren  is  here,  and  ask  them 
to  join  us  in  the  inner  room.  Remind  Mr.  Graves  to 
bring  the  papers.  And,  Tim,  remember  that  none  of 
us  is  to  be  disturbed.  Do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Tim  and  departed. 

Captain  Elisha  regarded  his  friend  with  some  dismay. 

"Say!"  he  exclaimed,  "this  must  be  serious,  if  it 
takes  the  skipper  and  both  mates  to  handle  it." 

Sylvester  did  not  smile.  "  It  is,"  he  answered. 
"  Come." 

He  led  the  way  into  the  room  opening  from  the  rear 
of  his  own.  It  was  a  large  apartment  with  a  long  table 
in  the  center.  Mr.  Kuhn,  brisk  and  business-like,  was 
already  there.  He  shook  hands  with  his  client.  As  he 
did  so,  Graves,  dignified  and  precise  as  ever,  entered, 
carrying  a  small  portfolio  filled  with  papers. 

"  Mornin',  Mr.  Graves,"  said  the  captain ;  "  glad  to 
see  you,  even  under  such  distressin'  circumstances,  as 
the  undertaker  said  to  the  sick  man.  Feelin'  all  right 
again,  I  hope.  No  more  colds  or  nothin'  like  that  ?  " 

"  No.     Thank  you.     I  am  quite  well,  at  present." 

"  That's  hearty.  If  you  and  me  don't  do  any  more 
buggy  ridin'  in  Cape  Cod  typhoons,  we'll  last  a  spell  yet, 
hey  ?  What  you  got  there,  the  death  warrant  ?  "  refer 
ring  to  the  portfolio  and  its  contents. 

Mr.  Graves  evidently  did  not  consider  this  flippancy 
worth  a  reply,  for  he  made  none. 

"  Sit  down,  gentlemen,"  said  Sylvester. 

The  four  took  chairs  at  the  table.  Graves  untied 
and  opened  the  portfolio.  Captain  Elisha  looked  at  his 
solemn  companions,  and  his  lips  twitched. 

"You'll  excuse  me,"  he  observed,  "but  I  feel  as  if 
I  was  goin'  to  be  tried  for  piracy  on  the  high  seas.  Has 

260 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

the  court  any  objection  to  tobacco  smoke?  I'm  puttin' 
the  emphasis  strong  on  the  '  tobacco/  "  he  added,  "  be 
cause  this  is  a  cigar  you  give  me  yourself,  Mr.  Sylvester, 
last  time  I  was  down  here." 

"  No,  indeed,"  replied  the  senior  partner.  "  Smoke, 
if  you  wish.  No  one  here  has  any  objection,  unless 
it  may  be  Graves." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Graves  ain't.  He  and  I  fired  up  together 
that  night  we  fust  met.  Hot  smoke  tasted  grateful 
after  all  the  cold  water  we'd  had  poured  onto  us  in  that 
storm.  Graves  is  all  right.  He's  a  sportin'  character, 
like  myself.  Maybe  he'll  jine  us.  Got  another  cigar 
in  my  pocket." 

But  the  invitation  was  declined.  The  "  sporting 
character  "  might  deign  to  relax  amid  proper  and  fitting 
surroundings,  but  not  in  the  sacred  precincts  of  his  of 
fice.  So  the  captain  smoked  alone. 

"  Well,"  he  observed,  after  a  few  preliminary  puffs, 
"  go  on !  Don't  keep  me  in  suspenders,  as  the  feller 
said.  Where  did  the  lightnin'  strike,  and  what's  the 
damage  ?  " 

Sylvester  took  a  card  from  his  pocket  and  referred 
to  a  penciled  memorandum  on  its  back. 

"  Captain  Warren,"  he  began,  slowly,  "  as  you  know, 
and  as  directed  by  you,  my  partners  here  and  I  have 
been  engaged  for  months  in  carefully  going  over  your 
brother's  effects,  estimating  values,  tabulating  and  sort 
ing  his  various  properties  and  securities,  separating  the 
good  from  the  worthless  —  and  there  was,  as  we  saw  at 
a  glance,  a  surprising  amount  of  the  latter — " 

"  Um-hm,"  interrupted  the  captain,  "  Cut  Short  bonds 
and  the  like  of  that.  I  know.  Excuse  me.  Go  on." 

"  Yes.  Precisely.  And  there  were  many  just  as 
valueless.  But  we  have  been  gradually  getting  those 

261 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

out  of  the  way  and  listing  and  appraising  the  remainder. 
It  was  a  tangle.  Your  brother's  business  methods, 
especially  of  late  years,  were  decidedly  unsystematic  and 
slipshod.  It  may  have  been  the  condition  of  his  health 
which  prevented  his  attending  to  them  as  he  should. 
Or,"  he  hesitated  slightly,  "  it  may  have  been  that  he 
was  secretly  in  great  trouble  and  mental  distress.  At 
all  events,  the  task  has  been  a  hard  one  for  us.  But, 
largely  owing  to  Graves  and  his  patient  work,  our  re 
port  was  practically  ready  a  month  ago." 

He  paused.  Captain  Elisha,  who  had  been  listening 
attentively,  nodded. 

"  Yes,"  he  said ;  "  you  told  me  'twas.  What  does  the 
whole  thing  tot  up  to?  What's  the  final  figger,  Mr. 
Graves  ?  " 

The  junior  partner  adjusted  his  eyeglasses  to  his  thin 
nose. 

"  I  have  them  here,"  he  said.  "  The  list  of  securities, 
ct  cetera,  is  rather  long;  but — " 

"  Never  mind  them  now,  Graves,"  interrupted  Kuhn. 
"  The  amount,  roughly  speaking,  is  close  to  over  our 
original  estimate,  half  a  million." 

The  captain  drew  a  breath  of  relief.  "  Well,"  he  ex 
claimed,  "  that's  all  right  then,  ain't  it  ?  That's  no  poor- 
house  pension." 

Sylvester  answered.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  "  that's  all  right, 
as  far  as  it  goes." 

"  Humph !  Well,  I  cal'late  /  could  make  it  go  to 
the  end  of  the  route;  and  then  have  enough  left  for  a 
return  ticket.  Say ! "  with  another  look  at  the  solemn 
faces  of  the  three,  "what  is  the  row?  If  the  estate  is 
wuth  ha'f  a  million,  what's  the  matter  with  it  ?  " 

"  That  is  what  we  are  here  this  morning  to  discuss, 
Captain.  A  month  ago.  as  I  said,  we  considered  our 

262 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

report  practically  ready.  Then  we  suddenly  happened 
on  the  trail  of  something  which,  upon  investigation,  upset 
all  our  calculations.  If  true,  it  threatened,  not  to  men 
tion  its  effect  upon  the  estate,  to  prove  so  distressing 
and  painful  to  us,  Rodgers  Warren's  friends  and  legal 
advisers,  that  we  decided  not  to  alarm  you,  his  brother, 
by  disclosing  our  suspicions  until  we  were  sure  there 
was  no  mistake.  I  did  drop  you  a  hint,  you  will  re 
member  — " 

"  I  remember.     Now  we're  comin'  to  the  rock !  " 

"  Yes.  Captain  Warren,  I  think  perhaps  I  ought  to 
warn  you  that  what  my  partners  and  I  are  about  to  say 
will  shock  and  hurt  you.  I,  personally,  knew  your 
brother  well  and  respected  him  as  an  honorable  business 
man.  A  lawyer  learns  not  to  put  too  much  trust  in 
human  nature,  but,  I  confess,  this  —  this  — " 

He  was  evidently  greatly  disturbed.  Captain  Elisha, 
regarding  him  intently,  nodded. 

"  I  judge  it's  sort  of  hard  for  you  to  go  on,  Mr. 
Sylvester,"  he  said.  "  I'll  help  you  all  I  can.  You  and 
Mr.  Kuhn  and  Mr.  Graves  here  have  found  out  some- 
thin'  that  ain't  exactly  straight  in  'Bije's  doin's?  Am  I 
right?" 

"  Yes,  Captain  Warren,  you  are." 

"  Somethin'  that  don't  help  his  character,  hey  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Somethin's  he's  done  that's  —  well,  to  speak  plain, 
that's  crooked  ?  " 

"  I'm  afraid  there's  no  doubt  of  it." 

"  Humph ! "  The  captain  frowned.  His  cigar  had 
gone  out,  and  he  idly  twisted  the  stump  between  his 
fingers.  "  Well,"  he  said,  with  a  sigh,  "  our  family, 
gen'rally  speakin',  has  always  held  its  head  pretty  high. 
Dad  was  poor,  but  he  prided  himself  on  bein'  straight 

263 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

as  a  plumb  line.  And,  as  for  mother,  she  .  .  ." 
Then,  looking  up  quickly,  he  asked,  "  Does  anybody  out 
side  know  about  this  ?  " 

"  No  one  but  ourselves  —  yet." 

"Yet?  Is  it  goin'  to  be  necessary  for  anybody  else 
to  know  it  ?  " 

"  We  hope  not.     But  there  is  a  possibility." 

"  I  was  thinkin'  about  the  children." 

"Of  course.     So  are  we  all." 

"  Um-hm.  Poor  Caroline !  she  put  her  father  on  a 
sort  of  altar  and  bowed  down  afore  him,  as  you  might 
say.  Any  sort  of  disgrace  to  his  name  would  about  kill 
her.  As  for  me,"  with  another  sigh,  "  I  ain't  so  much 
surprised  as  you  might  think.  I  know  that  sounds  tough 
to  say  about  your  own  brother,  but  I've  been  afraid 
all  along.  You  see,  'Bije  always  steered  pretty  close 
to  the  edge  of  the  channel.  He  had  ideas  about  honesty 
and  fair  dealin'  in  business  that  didn't  jibe  with  mine. 
We  split  on  just  that,  as  I  told  you,  Mr.  Graves,  when 
you  and  I  fust  met.  He  got  some  South  Denboro  folks 
to  invest  money  along  with  him ;  sort  of  savin's  account, 
they  figgered  it ;  but  I  found  out  he  was  usin'  it  to  specu 
late  with.  So  that's  why  we  had  our  row.  I  took 
pains  to  see  that  the  money  was  paid  back,  but  he  and 
I  never  spoke  afterwards.  Fur  as  my  own  money  was 
concerned,  I  hadn't  any  kick,  but  .  .  .  However, 
I'm  talkin'  too  much.  Go  on,  Mr.  Sylvester,  I'm  ready 
to  hear  whatever  you've  got  to  say." 

"  Thank  you,  Captain.  You  make  it  easier  for  me. 
It  seems  that  your  brother's  first  step  toward  wealth 
and  success  was  taken  about  nineteen  years  ago.  Then 
somehow  or  other,  probably  through  a  combination  of 
luck  and  shrewdness,  he  obtained  a  grant,  a  concession 
from  the  Brazilian  Government,  the  long  term  lease  of 

264 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

a  good-sized  tract  of  land  on  the  upper  Amazon.  It 
was  very  valuable  because  of  its  rubber  trees." 

"  Hey  ?  "  Captain  Elisha  leaned  forward.  "  Say  that 
again  !  "  he  commanded  sharply. 

Sylvester  repeated  his  statement.  "  He  got  the  con 
cession  by  paying  twenty  thousand  dollars  to  the  govern 
ment  of  Brazil,"  he  continued.  "  To  raise  the  twenty 
thousand  he  formed  a  stock  company  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty  shares  at  one  hundred  dollars  each.  One 
hundred  of  these  shares  were  in  his  own  name.  Fifty 
were  in  the  name  of  one  '  Thomas  A.  Craven,'  a  clerk 
at  that  time  in  his  office.  Craven  was  only  a  dummy, 
however.  Do  you  understand  what  I  mean  by  a 
dummy  ?  " 

"  I  can  guess.  Sort  of  a  wooden  image  that  moved 
when  'Bije  pulled  the  strings.  Like  one  of  these  straw 
directors  that  clutter  up  the  insurance  companies, 
'cordin'  to  the  papers.  Yes,  yes;  I  understand  well 
enough.  Go  ahead !  go  ahead  !  " 

"  That's  it.  The  fifty  shares  were  in  Craven's  name, 
but  they  were  transferred  in  blank  and  in  Mr.  Warren's 
safe.  Together  with  his  own  hundred,  they  gave  him 
control  and  a  voting  majority.  That  much  we  know  by 
the  records." 

"I  see.  But  this  rubber  con  —  contraption  wa'n't 
really  wuth  anything,  was  it  ?  " 

"  Worth  anything !  Captain  Warren,  I  give  you  my 
word  that  it  was  worth  more  than  all  the  rest  of  the 
investments  that  your  brother  made  during  his  life 
time." 

"No!"     The  exclamation  was  almost  a  shout. 

"  Why,  yes,  decidedly  more.  Does  that  surprise  you, 
Captain?" 

Captain  Elisha  did  not  answer.  He  was  regarding 
265 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

the  lawyer  with  a  dazed  expression.  He  breathed 
heavily. 

"What's  the  matter?"  demanded  the  watchful  Kuhn, 
his  gaze  fixed  upon  his  client's  face.  "  Do  you  know 
anything  — " 

The  captain  interrupted  him.  "Go  on ! "  he  com 
manded.  "  But  tell  me  this  fust :  What  was  the  name  of 
this  rubber  concern  of  'Bije's?" 

"  The  Akrae  Rubber  Company." 

"  I  see.  .  .  .  Yes,  yes.  .  .  .  Akry,  hey !  .  .  . 
Well,  what  about  it?  Tell  me  the  rest." 

"  For  the  first  year  or  two  this  company  did  nothing. 
Then,  in  March,  of  the  third  year,  the  property  was  re 
leased  by  Mr.  Warren  to  persons  in  Para,  who  were  to 
develop  and  operate.  The  terms  of  his  new  lease  were 
very  advantageous.  Royalties  were  to  be  paid  on  a 
sliding  scale,  and,  from  the  very  first,  they  were  large. 
The  Akrae  Company  paid  enormous  dividends." 

"  Did,  hey  ?     I  want  to  know !  " 

"  Yes.  In  fact,  for  twelve  years  the  company's  roy 
alties  averaged  $50,000  yearly." 

"  Whe-e-w  !  "  Captain  Elisha  whistled.  "  Fifty  thou 
sand  a  year!  "  he  repeated  slowly.  "  'Bije!  'Bije!  " 

"  Yes.  And  three  years  ago  the  Akrae  Company  sold 
its  lease,  sold  out  completely  to  the  Para  people,  for  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars." 

"  Godfreys  mighty !  Well,"  after  a  moment,  "  that's 
what  I'd  call  a  middlin'  fair  profit  on  a  twenty  thousand 
dollar  investment  —  not  to  mention  the  dividends." 

"  Captain,"  Sylvester  leaned  forward  now ;  "  Captain," 
he  repeated,  "  it  is  that  sale  and  the  dividends  which  are 
troubling  us.  I  told  you  that  the  Akrae  Company  was 
organized  with  two  hundred  and  fifty  shares  of  stock. 
Your  brother  held  one  hundred  in  his  own  name  and  fifty 

266 


transferred  to  him  by  his  dummy,  Craven.  What  I  did 
not  tell  you  was  that  there  were  another  hundred  shares, 
held  by  someone,  someone  who  paid  ten  thousand  dol 
lars  for  them  —  we  know  that  —  and  was,  therefore, 
entitled  to  two-fifths  of  every  dollar  earned  by  the 
company  during  its  existence,  and  two-fifths  of  the 
amount  received  for  the  sale  of  the  lease.  So  far  as  we 
can  find  out,  this  stockholder  has  never  received  one 
cent." 

The  effect  of  this  amazing  announcement  upon  the  un- 
iniated  member  of  the  council  was  not  as  great  as  the 
lawyers  expected  it  to  be.  "  You  don't  tell  me ! "  was 
his  sole  comment. 

Graves  broke  in  impatiently :  "  I  think,  Captain  War 
ren,"  he  declared,  "  that  you  probably  do  not  realize  what 
this  means.  Besides  proving  your  brother  dishonest,  it 
means  that  this  stockholder,  whoever  he  may  have 
been  — " 

"  Hey  ?     What's  that  ?     Don't  you  know  who  he  was  ?  " 

"  No,  we  do  not.  The  name  upon  the  stub  of  the 
transfer  book  has  been  scratched  out." 

Captain  Elisha  looked  the  speaker  in  the  face,  then 
slowly  turned  his  look  upon  the  other  two  faces. 

"Scratched  out?"  he  repeated.  "Who  scratched  it 
out?" 

Graves  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  the  captain.  "  You  don't  know,  but 
we're  all  entitled  to  guess,  hey  ?  .  .  .  Humph !  " 

"  If  this  person  is  living,"  began  Sylvester,  "  it  follows 
that—" 

"  Hold  on  a  minute !  I  don't  know  much  about  cor 
porations,  of  course  —  that's  more  in  your  line  than  'tis 
in  mine  —  but  I  want  to  ask  one  question.  You  say  this 
what-d'ye-call-it  —  this  Akrae  thingamajig  —  was  sold 
18  267 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

out,  hull,  canvas  and  riggin',  to  a  crowd  in  Brazil?     It'-s 
gone  out  of  business  then?     It's  dead ?  " 

"Yes.     But—" 

"  Wait !  Ain't  it  customary,  when  a  sale  like  this  is 
made,  to  turn  over  all  the  stock,  certificates  and  all? 
Sometimes  you  get  stock  in  the  new  company  in  ex 
change  ;  I  know  that.  But  to  complete  the  trade, 
wouldn't  this  extry  hundred  shares  be  turned  in?  Or 
some  sharp  questionin'  done  if  'twa'n't?" 

He  addressed  the  query  to  Sylvester.  The  latter 
seemed  more  troubled  than  before. 

"  That,"  he  said  with  some  hesitation,  "  is  one  of  the 
delicate  points  in  this  talk  of  ours,  Captain  Warren.  A 
certificate  for  the  missing  hundred  shares  was  turned  in. 
It  was  dated  at  the  time  of  the  original  issue,  made  out  in 
the  name  of  one  Edward  Bradley,  and  transferred  on  the 
back  by  him  to  your  brother.  That  is,  it  was  presumably 
so  transferred." 

"Presumably.     Pre-sumably?     You  mean — ?" 

"  I  mean  that  this  certificate  is  —  well,  let  us  say, 
rather  queer.  To  begin  with,  no  one  knows  who  this 
Bradley  is,  or  was.  His  name  appears  nowhere  except 
on  that  certificate,  unless,  of  course,  it  did  appear  on  the 
stub  where  the  scratching  has  been  done ;  we  doubt  that, 
for  reasons.  Nobody  ever  heard  of  the  man;  and  his 
transfer  to  your  brother  was  made,  and  the  certificate 
signed  by  him,  only  three  years  ago,  when  the  Akrae 
Company  sold  out.  It  will  take  too  long  to  go  into  de 
tails;  but  thanks  to  the  kindness  of  the  Para  concern, 
which  has  offices  in  this  city  —  we  have  been  able  to  ex 
amine  this  Bradley  certificate.  Experts  have  examined 
it,  also.  And  they  tell  us — " 

He  paused. 

"  Well,  what  do  they  tell  ?  "  demanded  the  captain. 
268 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  They  tell  us  that  —  that,  in  their  opinion,  the  certifi 
cate  was  never  issued  at  the  time  when,  by  this  date,  it 
presumes  to  have  been.  It  was  made  out  no  longer  ago 
than  five  years,  probably  less.  The  signature  of  Bradley 
on  the  back  is  —  is  —  well,  I  hate  to  say  it,  Captain  War 
ren,  but  the  handwriting  on  that  signature  resembles  very 
closely  that  of  your  brother." 

Captain  Elisha  was  silent  for  some  moments.  The 
others  did  not  speak,  but  waited.  Even  Graves,  between 
whom  and  his  client  there  was  little  in  common,  felt  the 
general  sympathy. 

At  length  the  captain  raised  his  head. 

"  Well,"  he  said  slowly,  "  we  ain't  children.  We  might 
as  well  call  things  by  their  right  names.  'Bije  forged 
that  certificate." 

"  I'm  afraid  there  is  no  doubt  of  it." 

"  Dear !  dear !  dear !  Why,  they  put  folks  in  state's 
prison  for  that !  " 

"  Yes.     But  a  dead  man  is  beyond  prisons." 

"  That's  so.     Then  I  don't  see  — " 

•  "  You  will.  You  don't  grasp  the  full  meaning  of  this 
affair  even  yet.  If  the  Bradley  certificate  is  a  forgery, 
a  fraud  from  beginning  to  end,  then  the  presumption  is 
that  there  was  never  any  such  person  as  Bradley.  But 
someone  paid  ten  thousand  dollars  for  one  hundred 
Akrae  shares  when  the  company  was  formed.  That  cer 
tificate  has  never  been  turned  in.  Some  person  or  per 
sons,  somewhere,  hold  one  hundred  shares  of  Akrae  Rub 
ber  Company  stock.  Think,  now !  Suppose  that  some 
one  turns  up  and  demands  all  that  he  has  been  cheated 
out  of  for  the  past  seventeen  years !  Think  of  that !  " 

"  Well  ...  I  am  thinkin'  of  it.  I  got  the  scent 
of  what  you  was  drivin'  at  five  minutes  ago.  And  I  don't 
see  that  we  need  to  be  afraid.  He  could  have  put  'Bije 

269 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

in  jail ;  but  'Bije  is  already  servin'  a  longer  sentence  than 
he  could  give  him.  So  that  disgrace  ain't  bearin'  down 
on  us.  And,  if  I  understand  about  such  things,  his  claim 
is  against  the  Akrae  Company,  and  that's  dead  —  dead  as 
the  man  that  started  it.  Maybe  he  could  put  in  a  keeper, 
or  a  receiver,  or  some  such  critter,  but  there's  nothin'  left 
to  keep  or  receive.  Ain't  I  right  ?  " 

"  You  are.  Or  you  would  be,  but  for  one  thing,  the 
really  inexplicable  thing  in  this  whole  miserable  affair. 
Your  brother,  Captain  Warren,  was  dishonest.  He  took 
money  that  didn't  belong  to  him,  and  he  forged  that  cer 
tificate.  But  he  must  have  intended  to  make  restitution. 
He  must  have  been  conscience-stricken  and  more  to  be 
pitied,  perhaps,  than  condemned.  No  doubt,  when  he 
first  began  to  withhold  the  dividends  and  use  the  money 
which  was  not  his,  he  intended  merely  to  borrow.  He 
was  always  optimistic  and  always  plunging  in  desperate 
and  sometimes  rather  shady  speculations  which,  he  was 
sure,  would  turn  out  favorably.  If  they  had  —  if,  for 
instance,  the  South  Shore  Trolley  Combine  had  been  put 
through  —  You  knew  of  that,  did  you  ?  " 

"  I've  been  told  somethin'  about  it.     Go  on !  " 

"  Well,  it  was  not  put  through,  so  his  hopes  there  were 
frustrated.  And  that  was  but  one  of  his  schemes. 
However,  when  the  sale  of  the  Company  was  consum 
mated,  he  did  an  extraordinary  thing.  He  made  out  and 
signed  his  personal  note,  payable  to  the  Akrae  Company, 
for  every  cent  he  had  misappropriated.  And  we  found 
that  note  in  his  safe  after  his  death.  That  was  what  first 
aroused  our  suspicions.  Now,  Captain  Warren,  do  you 
understand  ?  " 

Captain  Elisha  did  not  understand,  that  was  evident. 
His  look  of  wondering  amazement  traveled  from  one  face 
to  the  others  about  the  table. 

270 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"A  note!"  he  repeated.  "  'Bije  put  his  note  in  the 
safe?  A  note  promisin'  to  pay  all  he'd  stole!  And  left 
it  there  where  it  could  be  found?  Why,  that's 
pretty  nigh  unbelievable,  Mr.  Sylvester!  He  might  just 
as  well  have  confessed  his  crookedness  and  be  done  with 
it." 

"  Yes.  It  is  unbelievable,  but  it  is  true.  Graves  can 
show  you  the  note." 

The  junior  partner  produced  a  slip  of  paper  from  the 
portfolio  and  regarded  it  frowningly. 

"  Of  all  the  pieces  of  sheer  lunacy,"  he  observed, 
"  that  ever  came  under  my  observation,  this  is  the  worst. 
Here  it  is,  Captain  Warren." 

He  extended  the  paper.     Captain  Elisha  waved  it  aside. 

"  I  don't  want  to  see  it  —  not  yet,"  he  protested.  "  I 
want  to  think.  I  want  to  get  at  the  reason  if  I  can. 
Why  did  he  do  it?" 

"  That  is  what  we've  been  tryin'  to  find  —  the  reason," 
remarked  Kuhn,  "  and  we  can  only  guess.  Sylvester  has 
told  you  the  guess.  Rodgers  Warren  intended,  or  hoped, 
to  make  restitution  before  he  died." 

"  Yes.  Knowin'  'Bije,  I  can  see  that.  He  was  weak, 
that  was  his  main  trouble.  He  didn't  mean  to  be 
crooked,  but  his  knees  wa'n't  strong  enough  to  keep  him 
straight  when  it  come  to  a  hard  push.  But  he  made  his 
note  payable  to  a  Company  that  was  already  sold  out, 
so  it  ain't  good  for  nothin'.  Now,  why  — " 

Graves  struck  the  table  with  his  open  hand. 

"  He  doesn't  understand  at  all,"  he  exclaimed,  im 
patiently.  "  Captain  Warren,  listen !  That  note  is  made 
payable  to  the  Akrae  Company.  Against  that  company 
some  unknown  stockholder  has  an  apparent  claim  for 
two-fifths  of  all  dividends  ever  paid  and  two-fifths  of  the 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  received  for  the  sale. 

271 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

With  accrued  interest,  that  claim  amounts  to  over  five 
hundred  thousand  dollars." 

"  Yes,  but  — " 

"  That  note  binds  Rodgers  Warren's  estate  to  pay  that 
claim.  His  own  personal  estate !  Anc1  that  estate  is  not 
worth  over  four  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  dollars !  If 
this  stockholder  should  appear  and  press  his  claim,  your 
brother's  children  would  be,  not  only  penniless,  but  thirty 
thousand  dollars  in  debt!  There!  I  think  that  is  plain 
enough ! " 

He  leaned  back,  grimly  satisfied  with  the  effect  of  his 
statement.  Captain  Elisha  stared  straight  before  him, 
unseeingly,  the  color  fading  from  his  cheeks.  Then  he 
put  both  elbows  on  the  table  and  covered  his  face  with 
his  hands. 

"  You  see,  Captain,"  said  Sylvester,  gently,  "  how  very 
serious  the  situation  is.  Graves  has  put  it  bluntly,  but 
what  he  says  is  literally  true.  If  your  brother  had  de 
liberately  planned  to  hand  his  children  over  to  the  mercy 
of  that  missing  stockholder,  he  couldn't  have  done  it  more 
completely." 

Slowly  the  captain  raised  his  head.  His  expression 
was  a  strange  one ;  agitated  and  shocked,  but  with  a  curi 
ous  look  of  relief,  almost  of  triumph. 

"  At  last !  "  he  said,  solemnly.  "  At  last !  Now  it's  ail 
plain !  " 

"  All  ?  "  repeated  Sylvester.     "  You  mean  —  ?  " 

"  I  mean  everything,  all  that's  been  puzzlin'  me  and 
troublin*  my  head  since  the  very  beginnin'.  All  of  it! 
Now  I  know  why !  Oh,  'Bije !  'Bije !  'Bije !  " 

Kuhn  spoke  quickly. 

"  Captain,"  he  said,  "  I  believe  you  know  who  the 
owner  of  that  one  hundred  shares  is.  Do  you?  " 

Captain  Elisha  gravely  nodded. 
272 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Yes,"  he  answered.     "  I  know  him." 

"What?" 

"You  do?" 

"Who  is  it?" 

The  questions  were  blurted  out  together.  The  cap 
tain  looked  at  the  three  excited  faces.  He  hesitated  and 
then,  taking  the  stub  of  a  pencil  from  his  pocket,  drew 
toward  him  a  memorandum  pad  lying  on  the  table  and 
wrote  a  line  upon  the  uppermost  sheet.  Tearing  off  the 
page,  he  tossed  it  to  Sylvester. 

"  That's  the  name,"  he  said. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

TWO  more  hours  passed  before  the  lawyers  and 
their  client  rose  from  their  seats  about  the  long 
table.  Even  then  the  consultation  was  not  at 
an  end.  Sylvester  and  the  Captain  lunched  together  at 
the  Central  Club  and  sat  in  the  smoking  room  until  after 
four,  talking  earnestly.  When  they  parted,  the  attorney 
was  grave  and  troubled. 

"  All  right,  Captain  Warren,"  he  said ;  "  I'll  do  it.  And 
you  may  be  right.  I  certainly  hope  you  are.  But  I 
must  confess  I  don't  look  forward  to  my  task  with  pleas 
ure.  I  think  I've  got  the  roughest  end." 

"  It'll  be  rough,  there's  no  doubt  about  that.  Rough 
for  all  hands,  I  guess.  And  I  hope  you  understand, 
Mr.  Sylvester,  that  there  ain't  many  men  I'd  trust  to 
do  what  I  ask  you  to.  I  appreciate  your  doin'  it  more'n 
I  can  tell  you.  Be  as  —  as  gentle  as  you  can,  won't 
you?" 

"  I  will.     You  can  depend  upon  that." 

"  I  do.  And  I  sha'n't  forget  it  Good-by,  till  the  next 
time." 

They  shook  hands.  Captain  Elisha  returned  to  the 
boarding  house,  where  he  found  a  letter  awaiting  him. 
It  was  from  Caroline,  telling  him  of  her  engagement  to 
Malcolm  Dunn.  She  wrote  that,  while  not  recognizing 
his  right  to  interfere  in  any  way,  she  felt  that  perhaps 
he  should  know  of  her  action.  He  did  not  go  down  to 
supper,  and,  when  Pearson  came  to  inquire  the  reason, 
excused  himself,  pleading  a  late  luncheon  and  no  appetite. 

274 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  guessed  he  would  turn  in  early,  so  he  said.  It  wasl 
a  poor  guess. 

Next  morning  he  went  uptown.  Edwards,  opening 
the  door  of  the  Warren  apartment,  was  surprised  to  find 
who  had  rung  the  bell. 

"  Mornin',  Commodore ! "  hailed  the  captain,  as 
casually  as  if  he  were  merely  returning  from  a  stroll. 
"  Is  Miss  Caroline  aboard  ship  ?  " 

"  Why  —  why,  I  don't  know,  sir.     I'll  see." 

"  That's  all  right.  She's  aboard  or  you  wouldn't  have 
to  see.  You  and  me  sailed  together  quite  a  spell,  so  I 
know  your  little  habits.  I'll  wait  in  the  library,  Com 
modore.  Tell  her  there's  no  particular  hurry." 

His  niece  was  expecting  him.  She  had  anticipated  his 
visit  and  was  prepared  for  it.  From  the  emotion  caused 
by  his  departure  after  the  eventful  birthday,  she  had  en 
tirely  recovered,  or  thought  she  had.  The  surprise  and 
shock  of  his  leaving  and  the  consequent  sense  of  loneli 
ness  and  responsibility  overcame  her  at  the  time,  but 
Stephen's  ridicule  and  Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn's  congratu 
lations  on  riddance  from  the  "  encumbrance "  shamed 
her  and  stilled  the  reproaches  of  her  conscience.  Mrs. 
Dunn,  as  always,  played  the  diplomat  and  mingled  just 
the  proper  quantity  of  comprehending  sympathy  with  the 
congratulations. 

"  I  understand  exactly  how  you  feel,  my  dear,"  she 
said.  "  You  have  a  tender  heart,  and  it  pains  you  to 
hurt  anyone's  feelings,  no  matter  how  much  they  de 
serve  to  be  hurt.  Every  time  I  dismiss  an  incompetent 
or  dishonest  servant  I  feel  that  I  have  done  wrong ;  some 
times  I  cry,  actually  shed  tears,  you  know,  and  yet  my 
reason  tells  me  I  am  right.  You  feel  that  you  may  have 
been  too  harsh  with  that  guardian  of  yours.  You  re 
member  what  you  said  to  him  and  forget  how  hypocrit- 

275 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

ically  he  behaved  toward  you.  I  can't  forgive  him  that. 
I  may  forget  how  he  misrepresented  Malcolm  and  me  to 
you  —  that  I  may  even  pardon,  in  time  —  but  to  deceive 
his  own  brother's  children  and  introduce  into  their 
society  a  creature  who  had  slandered  and  maligned  their 
father  —  that  I  never  shall  forget  or  forgive.  And  — 
you'll  excuse  my  frankness,  dear  —  you  should  never 
forget  or  forgive  it,  either.  You  have  nothing  with 
•which  to  reproach  yourself.  You  were  a  brave  girl, 
and  if  you  are  not  proud  of  yourself,  /  am  proud  of 
you." 

So,  when  her  uncle  was  announced,  Caroline  was  ready. 
She  entered  the  library  and  acknowledged  his  greeting 
•with  a  distant  bow.  He  regarded  her  kindly,  but  his 
manner  was  grave. 

"  Well,  Caroline,"  he  began,  "  I  got  your  letter." 

"  Yes,  I  presumed  you  did." 

"  Um-hm.  I  got  it.  It  didn't  surprise  me,  what 
you  wrote,  because  I'd  seen  the  news  in  the  papers;  but 
J  was  hopin'  you'd  tell  me  yourself,  and  I'm  real  glad  you 
did.  I'm  much  obliged  to  you." 

She  had  not  expected  him  to  take  this  tone,  and  it 
embarrassed  her. 

"I  —  I  gave  you  my  reasons  for  writing,"  she  said. 
"  Although  I  do  not  consider  that  I  am,  in  any  sense, 
duty  bound  to  refer  matters,  other  than  financial,  to  you ; 
and,  although  my  feelings  toward  you  have  not  changed 
—  still,  you  are  my  guardian,  and  —  and  — " 

"  I  understand.     So  you're  really  engaged  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"Engaged  to  Mr.  Dunn?" 

"  Yes." 

"  And  you're  cal'latin'  to  marry  him  ?  " 

"  One  might  almost  take  that  for  granted,"  impatiently. 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Almost  —  yes.  Not  always,  but  generally,  I  will  give 
in.  You're  goin'  to  marry  Malcolm  Dunn.  Why  ?  " 

"Why?"  she  repeated  the  question  as  if  she  doubted 
his  sanity. 

"  Yes.  Be  as  patient  with  me  as  you  can,  Caroline.  I 
ain't  askin'  these  things  without  what  seems  to  me  a  good 
reason.  Why  are  you  goin'  to  marry  him  ?  " 

"Why  —  because  I  choose,  I  suppose." 

"  Um-hm.     Are  you  sure  of  that?  " 

"  Am  I  sure  ?  "  indignantly.     "  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean  are  you  sure  that  it's  because  you  choose,  or 
because  he  does,  or  maybe,  because  his  mother  does  ?  " 

She  turned  angrily  away.  "If  you  came  here  to  in 
sult  me  — "  she  began.  He  interrupted  her. 

"  No,  no,"  he  protested  gently.  "  Insultin'  you  is  the 
last  thing  I  want  to  do.  But,  as  your  father  did  put 
you  in  my  charge,  I  want  you  to  bear  with  me  while  we 
talk  this  over  together.  Remember,  Caroline,  I  ain't 
bothered  you  a  great  deal  lately.  I  shouldn't  now  if  I 
hadn't  thought  'twas  necessary.  So  please  don't  get 
mad,  but  answer  me  this :  Do  you  care  for  this  man 
you've  promised  to  marry  ?  " 

This  was  a  plain  question.  It  should  hare  been  an 
swered  without  the  slightest  hesitation.  Moreover,  the 
girl  had  expected  him  to  ask  it.  Yet,  for  a  moment,  she 
did  hesitate. 

"  I  mean,"  continued  Captain  Elisha,  "  do  you  care  for 
him  enough?"  Enough  to  live  with  him  all  your  life, 
and  see  him  every  day,  and  be  to  him  what  a  true  wife 
ought  to  be?  See  him,  not  with  his  company  manners 
on  or  in  his  automobile,  but  at  the  breakfast  table,  and 
when  he  comes  home  tired  and  cross,  maybe.  When 
you've  got  to  be  forbearin'  and  forgivin'  and  — " 

"  He  is  one  of  my  oldest  and  best  friends  — "  she  in- 
277 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

terrupted.  Her  uncle  went  on  without  waiting  for  her 
to  end  the  sentence. 

"  I  know,"  he  said.  "  One  of  the  oldest,  that's  sure. 
But  friendship,  'cordin'  to  my  notion,  is  somethin'  so 
small  in  comparison  that  it  hardly  counts  in  the  mani 
fest.  Married  folks  ought  to  be  friends,  sartin  sure ;  but 
they  ought  to  be  a  whole  lot  more'n  that.  I'm  an  old 
bach,  you  say,  and  ain't  had  no  experience.  That's  true ; 
but  I've  been  young,  and  there  was  a  time  when  /  made 
plans  .  .  .  However,  she  died,  and  it  never  come  to 
nothin'.  But  I  know  what  it  means  to  be  engaged,  the 
right  kind  of  engagement.  It  means  that  you. don't  count 
yourself  at  all,  not  a  bit.  You're  ready,  each  of  you,  to 
give  up  all  you've  got  —  your  wishes,  comfort,  money 
and  what  it'll  buy,  and  your  life,  if  it  should  come  to 
that,  for  that  other  one.  Do  you  care  for  Malcolm 
Dunn  like  that,  Caroline  ?  " 

She  answered  defiantly. 

"  Yes,  I  do,"  she  said. 

"  You  do.  Well,  do  you  think  he  feels  the  same  way 
about  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  with  not  quite  the  same  promptness,  but  still 
defiantly. 

"  You  feel  sartin  of  it,  do  you  ?  " 

She  stamped  her  foot.  "Yes!  yes!  yes!"  she  cried. 
"  Oh,  do  say  what  you  came  to  say,  and  end  it ! " 

Her  uncle  rose  to  his  feet. 

"  Why,  I  guess  likely  I've  said  it,"  he  observed. 
"  When  two  people  care  for  each  other  like  that,  they 
ought  to  be  married,  and  the  sooner  the  better.  I  knew 
that  you'd  been  lonesome  and  troubled,  maybe ;  and  some 
of  the  friends  you  used  to  have  had  kind  of  dropped 
away  —  busy  with  other  affairs,  which  is  natural  enough 
—  and,  you  needin'  sympathy  and  companionship,  I  was 

278 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

sort  of  worried  for  fear  all  this  had  influenced  you 
more'n  it  ought  to,  and  you'd  been  led  into  sayin'  yes 
without  realizin'  what  it  meant.  But  you  tell  me  that 
ain't  so;  you  do  realize.  So  all  I  can  say  is  that  I'm 
awful  glad  for  you.  God  bless  you,  my  dear!  I  hope 
you'll  be  as  happy  as  the  day  is  long." 

His  niece  gazed  at  him,  bewildered  and  incredulous. 
This  she  had  not  expected. 

"  Thank  you,"  she  stammered.  "  I  did  not  know  — 
I  thought — " 

"  Of  course  you  did  —  of  course.  Well,  then,  Caro 
line,  I  guess  that's  all.  I  won't  trouble  you  any  longer. 
Good-by." 

He  turned  toward  the  door,  but  stopped,  hesitated,  and 
turned  back  again. 

"  There  is  just  one  thing  more,"  he  said  solemnly. 
"  I  don't  know's  I  ought  to  speak,  but  —  I  want  to  — 
and  I'm  goin'  to.  And  I  want  you  to  believe  it!  I  do 
want  you  to !  " 

He  was  so  earnest,  and  the  look  he  gave  her  was  so 
strange,  that  she  began  to  be  alarmed. 

"  What  is  it?  "  she  demanded. 

"  Why  —  why,  just  this,  Caroline.  This  is  a  tough 
old  world  we  live  in.  Things  don't  always  go  on  in  it 
as  we  think  they'd  ought  to.  Trouble  comes  to  every 
body,  and  when  it  all  looks  right  sometimes  it  turns  out 
to  be  all  wrong.  If  —  if  there  should  come  a  time  like 
that  to  you  and  Steve,  I  want  you  to  remember  that 
you've  got  me  to  turn  to.  No  matter  what  you  think  of 
me,  what  folks  have  made  you  think  of  me,  just  remem 
ber  that  I'm  waitin'  and  ready  to  help  you  all  I  can. 
Any  time  I'm  ready  —  and  glad.  Just  remember  that, 
won't  you,  because  .  .  .  Well,  there!  Good-by,, 
Good-by ! " 

279 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  hurried  away.  She  stood  gazing  after  him,  aston 
ished,  a  little  frightened,  and  not  a  little  disturbed  and 
touched.  His  emotion  was  so  evident;  his  attitude 
toward  her  engagement  was  so  different  from  that  which 
she  had  anticipated;  and  there  was  something  in  his 
manner  which  she  could  not  understand.  He  had  acted 
as  if  he  pitied  her.  Why?  It  could  not  be  because  she 
was  to  marry  Malcolm  Dunn.  If  it  were  that,  she  re 
sented  his  pity,  of  course.  But  it  could  not  be  that,  be 
cause  he  had  given  her  his  blessing.  What  was  it? 
Was  there  something  else ;  something  that  she  did  not 
know  and  he  did?  Why  was  he  so  kind  and  forbearing 
and  patient? 

All  her  old  doubts  and  questionings  returned.  She 
had  resolutely  kept  them  from  her  thoughts,  but  they 
had  been  there,  in  the  background,  always.  When,  after 
the  long  siege,  she  had  at  last  yielded  and  said  yes  to 
Malcolm,  she  felt  that  that  question,  at  least,  was  set 
tled.  She  would  marry  him.  He  was  one  whom  she 
had  known  all  her  life,  the  son  of  the  dearest  friend  she 
had;  he  and  his  mother  had  been  faithful  at  the  time 
when  she  needed  friends.  As  her  husband,  he  would 
protect  her  and  give  her  the  affection  and  companionship 
she  craved.  He  might  appear  careless  and  indifferent 
at  times,  but  that  was  merely  his  manner.  Had  not 
Mrs.  Dunn  told  her  over  and  over  again  what  a  good 
son  he  was,  and  what  a  kind  heart  he  had,  and  how  he 
worshiped  her  ?  Oh,  she  ought  to  be  a  very  happy  girl ! 
Of  course  she  was  happy.  But  why  had  her  uncle  looked 
at  her  as  he  did?  And  what  did  he  mean  by  hinting 
that  when  things  looked  right  they  sometimes  were  all 
wrong?  She  wished  Malcolm  was  with  her  then;  she 
needed  him. 

She  heard  the  clang  of  the  elevator  door.  Then  the 
280 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

bell  rang  furiously.  She  heard  Edwards  hasten  to  an 
swer  it.  Then,  to  her  amazement,  she  heard  her  brother's 
voice. 

"  Caroline !  "  demanded  Stephen.  "  Caroline !  Where 
are  you  ?  " 

He  burst  into  the  room,  still  wearing  his  coat  and  hat, 
and  carrying  a  traveling  bag  in  his  hand. 

"  Why,  Steve !  "  she  said,  going  toward  him.  **  Why, 
Steve !  what  — " 

He  was  very  much  excited. 

"  Oh  !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  you're  all  right  then  I  You 
are  all  right,  aren't  you  ?  " 

"All  right?  Why  shouldn't  I  be  all  right?  What  do 
you  mean  ?  And  why  are  you  here  ?  " 

He  returned  her  look  of  surprise  with  one  of  great 
astonishment. 

"  Why  am  I  here  ?  "  he  repeated. 

"  Yes.     Why  did  you  come  from  New  Haven  ?  " 

"  Why,  because  I  got  the  telegram,  of  course !  You 
expected  me  to  come,  didn't  you  ?  " 

"  /  expected  you  ?     Telegram  ?     "W  hat  telegram  ?  " 

"  Why,  the  —  Good  Lord,  Caro !  what  are  you  talking 
about?  Didn't  you  know  they  telegraphed  me  to  come 
home  at  once?  I've  pretty  nearly  broke  my  neck,  and 
the  taxicab  man's,  getting  here  from  the  station.  I 
thought  you  must  be  very  ill,  or  something  worse." 

"  They  telegraphed  you  to  come  here  ?  Who  .  .  . 
Edwards,  you  may  take  Mr.  Warren's  things  to  his 
room." 

"But,  Sis—" 

"  Just  a  moment,  Steve.  Give  Edwards  your  coat  and 
hat.  Yes,  and  your  bag.  That  will  be  all,  Edwards. 
We  sha'n't  need  you." 

When  they  were  alone,  she  turned  again  to  her  brother. 
281 


CAP'N  WARREN  S  WARDS 

"  Now,  Steve,"  she  said,  "  sit  down  and  tell  me  what 
you  mean.  Who  telegraphed  you  ?  " 

"  Why,  old  Sylvester,  father's  lawyer.  I've  got  the 
message  here  somewhere.  No,  never  mind!  I've  lost  it, 
I  guess.  He  wired  me  to  come  home  as  early  as  possible 
this  morning.  Said  it  was  very  important.  And  you 
didn't  know  anything  about  it  ?  " 

"  No,  not  a  thing.     What  can  it  mean  ? " 
"  7  don't  know !     That's  the  bell,  isn't  it  ?     Edwards !  " 
But  the  butler  was  already  on  his  way  to  the  door. 
A  moment  later  he  returned. 
"  Mr.  Sylvester,"  he  announced. 


Captain  Elisha  scarcely  left  his  room,  except  for  meals, 
during  the  remainder  of  that  day  and  for  two  days  there 
after.  He  was  unusually  silent  at  table  and  avoided  con 
versation  even  with  Pearson,  who  was  depressed  and 
gloomy  and  made  no  attempt  to  force  his  society  upon 
his  friend.  Once,  passing  the  door  of  the  latter's  room, 
he  heard  the  captain  pacing  back  and  forth  as  if  he  were 
walking  the  quarter-deck  of  one  of  his  old  ships.  As 
Pearson  stood  listening  the  footsteps  ceased ;  silence,  then 
a  deep  sigh,  and  they  began  again.  The  young  man 
sighed  in  sympathy  and  wearily  climbed  to  his  den.  The 
prospect  of  chimneys  and  roofs  across  the  way  was 
never  more  desolate  or  more  pregnant  with  discourage 
ment. 

Several  times  Captain  Elisha  descended  to  the  closet 
where  the  telephone  was  fastened  to  the  wall  and  held 
long  conversations  with  someone.  Mrs.  Hepton,  who 
knew  that  her  newest  boarder  was  anxious  and  disturbed, 
and  was  very  curious  to  learn  the  reason,  made  it  a 
point  to  be  busy  near  that  closet  while  these  conversations 

282 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

took  place ;  but,  as  the  captain  was  always  careful  to  close 
the  door,  she  was  disappointed.  Once  the  mysterious 
Mr.  Sylvester  called  up  and  asked  for  "  Captain  War 
ren,"  and  the  landlady  hastened  with  the  summons. 

"  I  hope  it's  nothing  serious,"  she  observed,  feelingly. 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  replied  the  captain,  on  his  way  to  the 
stairs.  "  Much  obliged." 

"  It  is  the  same  person  who  was  so  very  anxious  to  get 
you  the  other  night,"  she  continued,  making  desperate 
efforts  not  to  be  left  behind  in  the  descent.  "  I  declare 
he  quite  frightened  me !  And  —  you'll  excuse  me,  Cap 
tain  Warren,  but  I  take  such  a  real  friendly  interest  in 
my  boarders  —  you  have  seemed  to  me  rather  —  rather 
upset  lately,  and  I  do  hope  it  isn't  bad  news." 

"  Well,  I  tell  you,  ma'am,"  was  the  unsatisfactory  an 
swer,  given  just  before  the  closet  door  closed;  "we'll 
do  the  way  the  poor  relation  did  when  he  got  word  his 
uncle  had  willed  him  one  of  his  suits  of  clothes  —  we'll 
hope  for  the  best." 

Sylvester  had  a  report  to  make. 

"  The  other  party  has  been  here,"  he  said.  "  He  has 
just  gone." 

"  The  other  party  ?    Why  —  you  don't  mean  —  himf  " 

"  Yes." 

"Was  he  alone?     Nobody  along  to  look  after  him?" 

"  He  was  alone,  for  a  wonder.  He  had  heard  the 
news,  too.  Apparently  had  just  learned  it." 

"  He  had  ?     I  want  to  know !     Who  told  him  ?  " 

"  He  didn't  say.  He  was  very  much  agitated. 
Wouldn't  say  anything  except  to  ask  if  it  was  true.  I 
think  we  can  guess  who  told  him." 

"  Maybe.     Well,  what  did  you  say  ?  " 

"  Nothing  of  importance.  I  refused  to  discuss  my 
clients'  affairs." 

19  283 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Right  you  are !     How  did  he  take  that?  " 

"  He  went  up  like  a  sky-rocket.  Said  he  had  a  right 
to  know,  under  the  circumstances.  I  admitted  it,  but 
said  I  could  tell  him  nothing  —  yet.  He  went  away 
frantic,  and  I  called  you." 

"  Urn-hm.  Well,  Mr.  Sylvester,  suppose  you  do  see 
him  and  his  boss.  See  'em  and  tell  'em  some  of  the 
truth.  Don't  tell  too  much  though;  not  who  was  to 
blame  nor  how,  but  just  that  it  looks  pretty  bad  so  fur 
as  the  estate's  concerned.  Then  say  you  want  to  see 
'em  again  and  will  arrange  another  interview.  Don't  set 
any  time  and  place  for  that  until  you  hear  from  me. 
Understand?" 

"  I  think  so,  partially.     But  — " 

"  Until  you  hear  from  me  —  that's  the  important  part. 
And,  if  you  can,  convenient,  I'd  have  the  fust  interview 
right  off;  this  afternoon,  if  it's  possible." 

"  Captain,  what  have  you  got  up  your  sleeve  ?  Why 
don't  you  come  down  here  and  talk  it  over  ?  " 

"  'Cause  I'm  stickin'  close  aboard  and  waitin'  develop 
ments.  Maybe  there  won't  be  any,  but  I'm  goin'  to  wait 
a  spell  and  see.  There  ain't  much  up  my  sleeve  just 
now  but  goose-flesh ;  there's  plenty  of  that.  So  long." 

A  development  came  that  evening.  Mrs.  Hepton 
heralded  it. 

"  Captain,"  she  said,  when  he  answered  her  knock, 
"  there's  a  young  gentleman  to  see  you.  I  think  he  must 
be  a  relative  of  yours.  His  name  is  Warren." 

Captain  Elisha  pulled  his  beard.  "  A  young  gentle 
man?"  he  repeated. 

"  Yes.  I  showed  him  into  the  parlor.  There  will  be 
no  one  there  but  you  and  he,  and  I  thought  it  would  be 
more  comfortable." 

"  Um-hm.  I  see.  Well,  I  guess  you'd  better  send  him 
284 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

up.  This  is  comfortable  enough,  and  there  won't  be 
nobody  but  him  and  me  here,  either  —  and  I'll  be  more 
sartin  of  it." 

The  landlady,  who  considered  herself  snubbed,  flounced 
away.  Captain  Elisha  stepped  to  the  head  of  the  stairs. 

"  Come  right  up,  Steve !  "  he  called. 

Stephen  came.  His  uncle  ushered  him  into  the  room, 
closed  the  door,  and  turned  the  key. 

"  Stevie,"  he  said,  kindly,  "  I'm  glad  to  see  you.  Take 
off  your  things  and  set  down." 

The  boy  accepted  the  invitation  only  to  the  extent  of 
throwing  his  hat  on  the  table.  He  did  not  sit  or  re 
move  his  overcoat.  He  was  pale,  his  eyes  were  swollen 
and  red,  his  hair  was  disarranged,  and  in  all  respects  he 
looked  unlike  his  usual  blase  and  immaculate  self.  His 
forehead  was  wet,  showing  that  he  had  hurried  on  his 
way  to  the  boarding  house. 

The  captain  regarded  him  pityingly. 

"  Set  down,  Stevie,"  he  urged.  "  You're  all  het  up 
and  worn  out." 

His  nephew  paid  no  attention.  Instead  he  asked  a 
question. 

"  You  know  about  it  ?  "  he  demanded. 

"  Yes,  Stevie ;  I  know." 

"  You  do  ?  I  —  I  mean  about  the  —  the  Akrae  Com 
pany  and  —  and  all  ?  " 

"  Yes.     I  know  all  about  all  of  it.     Do  set  down !  " 

Stephen  struck  his  closed  fist  into  the  palm  of  his  other 
hand.  He  wore  one  glove.  What  had  become  of  the 
other  he  could  not  have  told. 

"You  do?"  he  shouted.  "You  do?  By  gad!  Then 
do  you  know  what  it  means  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  know  that,  too.  Now,  Stevie,  be  a  good  boy 
and  set  down  and  keep  cool.  Yes,  I  want  you  to." 

285 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  put  his  hands  on  his  nephew's  shoulders  and  forced 
him  into  a  chair. 

"  Now,  just  calm  yourself,"  urged  the  captain. 
"  There  ain't  a  mite  of  use  workin'  yourself  up  this  way. 
I  know  the  whole  business,  and  I  can't  tell  you  —  I  can't 
begin  to  tell  you  how  sorry  I  feel  for  you.  Yet  you 
mustn't  give  up  the  ship  because  — " 

"  Mustn't  give  up !  "  Stephen  was  on  his  feet  again. 
"  Why,  what  are  you  talking  about  ?  I  thought  you  said 
you  knew!  Do  you  think  that  losing  every  cent  you've 
got  in  the  world  is  a  joke?  Do  you  think  that  —  See 
here,  do  you  know  who  this  shareholder  is;  this  fellow 
who's  going  to  rob  us  of  all  we  own?  Who  is  he?" 

"  Didn't  Mr.  Sylvester  tell  you?  " 

"  He  said  that  there  was  such  a  man  and  that  he  had 
the  estate  cinched.  He  told  us  about  that  note  and  all 
the  rest.  But  he  wouldn't  tell  the  man's  name.  Said 
he  had  been  forbidden  to  mention  it.  Do  you  know  him  ? 
What  sort  of  fellow  is  he?  Don't  you  think  he  could 
be  reasoned  with  ?  Hasn't  he  got  any  decency  —  or  pity 
—  or—" 

He  choked,  and  the  tears  rushed  to  his  eyes.  He  wiped 
them  angrily  away  with  the  back  of  his  glove. 

"  It's  a  crime !  "  he  cried.  "  Can't  he  be  held  off  some 
how  ?  Who  is  he  ?  I  want  to  know  his  name." 

Captain  Elisha  sadly  shook  his  head.  "  I'm  afraid  he 
can't,  Stevie,"  he  said.  "  He's  got  a  legal  right  to  all 
'Bije  left,  and  more,  too.  It  may  be  he  won't  be  too 
hard;  perhaps  he'll  .  .  .  but  there,"  hastily.  "I 
mustn't  say  that.  We've  got  to  face  the  situation  as 
'tis.  And  I  can't  tell  you  his  name  because  he  don't  want 
it  mentioned  unless  it's  absolutely  necessary.  And  we 
don't,  either.  We  don't  want  —  any  of  us  —  to  have  this 
get  into  the  papers.  We  mustn't  have  any  disgrace." 

286 


"  Disgrace !  Good  heavens !  Isn't  there  disgrace 
enough  already?  Isn't  it  enough  to  know  father  was  a 
crook  as  well  as  an  idiot?  I've  always  thought  he  was 
insane  ever  since  that  crazy  will  of  his  came  to  light; 
but  to  steal !  and  then  to  leave  a  paper  proving  it,  so  that 
we've  got  to  lose  everything !  His  children !  It's  — " 

"  Now  hold  on,  boy !  Your  dad  didn't  mean  to  take 
what  didn't  belong  to  him  —  for  good,  that  is ;  the  note 
proves  that.  He  did  do  wrong  and  used  another  man's 
money,  but — " 

"'Then  why  didn't  he  keep  it?  If  you're  going  to 
steal,  steal  like  a  man,  I  say ! " 

"  Steve,  Steve !  steady  now ! "  The  captain's  tone 
was  sterner.  "  Don't  speak  that  way.  You'll  be  sorry 
for  it  later.  I  tell  you  I  don't  condemn  your  father  ha'f 
so  much  as  I  pity  him." 

"  Oh,  shut  up !  You  make  me  sick.  You  talk  just 
as  Caro  does.  I'll  never  forgive  him,  no  matter  how 
much  she  preaches,  and  I  told  her  so.  Pity !  Pity  him  ! 
How  about  pity  for  me?  I  —  I — " 

His  overwrought  nerves  gave  way,  and,  throwing  him 
self  into  the  chair,  he  broke  down  completely  and,  for 
getting  the  manhood  of  which  he  was  so  fond  of  boast 
ing,  cried  like  a  baby.  Captain  Elisha  turned  away,  to 
hide  his  own  emotion. 

"  It's  hard,"  he  said  slowly.  "  It's  awfully  hard  for 
you,  my  boy.  I  hate  to  see  you  suffer  this  way."  Then, 
in  a  lower  tone,  he  added  doubtfully.  "I  wonder  if  — 
if —  I  wonder — " 

His  nephew  heard  the  word  and  interrupted. 

"  You  wonder?  "  he  demanded,  hysterically ;  "  you  won 
der  what?  What  are  you  going  to  do  about  it?  It's 
up  to  you,  isn't  it  ?  You're  our  guardian,  aren't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Stevie,  I'm  your  guardian." 
287 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"Yes,  you  are!  But  no  one  would  guess  it.  When 
we  didn't  want  you,  you  wouldn't  leave  us  for  a  minute. 
Now,  when  we  need  you,  when  there  isn't  a  soul  for  us 
to  turn  to,  you  stay  away.  You  haven't  been  near  us. 
It's  up  to  you,  I  say !  and  what  are  you  going  to  do  about 
It  ?  What  are  you  going  to  do?  " 

His  uncle  held  up  his  hand. 

"  S-shh !  "  he  said.  "  Don't  raise  your  voice  like  that, 
son!  I  can  hear  you  without  that,  and  we  don't  want- 
anybody  else  to  hear.  What  am  I  goin'  to  do?  Stevie, 
I  don't  know  exactly.  I  ain't  made  up  my  mind  yet." 

"  Well,  it's  time  you  did !  " 

"  Yes,  I  guess  likely  'tis.  As  for  my  not  comin'  to 
see  you,  you  know  the  reason  for  that.  I'd  have  come 
quick  enough,  but  I  wa'n't  sure  I'd  be  welcome.  And  I 
told  your  sister  only  'tother  day  that  —  by  the  way,  Steve, 
how  is  she  ?  How  is  Caroline  ?  " 

"  She's  a  fool !  "  The  boy  sprang  up  again  and  shook 
his  fist.  "  She's  the  one  I've  come  here  to  speak  about. 
If  we  don't  stop  her  she'll  ruin  us  altogether.  She  — 
she's  a  damned  fool,  I  tell  you ! " 

"  There !  there !  "  the  captain's  tone  was  sharp  and  em 
phatic.  "That's  enough  of  that,"  he  said.  "I  don't 
want  to  hear  you  call  your  sister  names.  What  do  you 
mean  by  it  ?  " 

"  I  mean  what  I  say.  She  is  a  fool.  Do  you  know 
what  she's  done?  She's  written  Mai  Dunn  all  about  it! 
I'd  have  stopped  her,  but  I  didn't  know  until  it  was  too 
late.  She's  told  him  the  whole  thing." 

"She  has?     About  'Bije?" 

"  Well,  perhaps  she  didn't  tell  him  father  was  a  thief, 
but  she  did  tell  that  the  estate  was  gone  —  that  we  were 
flat  broke  and  worse." 

"  Hum !  "  Captain  Elisha  seemed  more  gratified  than 
288 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

displeased.     "Hum!     .     .     .     Well,  I  kind  of  expected 
she  would.     Knowin'  her,  I  kind  of  expected  it." 

"  You  did  ?  "  Stephen  glared  in  wrathful  amazement. 
"You  expected  it?" 

"Yes.     What  of  it?" 

"What  of  it?  Why,  everything!  Can't  you  see? 
Mai's  our  only  chance.  If  she  marries  him  she'll  be 
looked  out  for  and  so  will  I.  She  needn't  have  told  him 
until  they  were  married.  The  wedding  could  have  been 
hurried  along;  the  Dunns  were  crazy  to  have  it  as  soon 
as  possible.  Now — " 

"  Hold  on,  Steve !  Belay !  What  difference  does  her 
tellin'  him  make?  Maybe  she  hasn't  mentioned  it  to  you, 
but  I  had  a  talk  with  your  sister  the  other  mornin'.  She 
thinks  the  world  of  Malcolm,  and  he  does  of  her.  She 
told  me  so  herself.  Of  course  she'd  go  to  him  in  her 
trouble.  And  he'll  be  proud  —  yes,  and  glad  to  know 
that  he  can  help  her.  As  for  the  weddin',  I  don't  see 
that  this'll  have  any  effect  except  to  hurry  it  up  a  little 
more,  maybe." 

Steve  looked  at  him  suspiciously,  but  there  was  no 
trace  of  sarcasm  in  the  captain's  face  or  voice.  The  boy 
scowled. 

"  Ugh !  "  he  grunted. 

"  What's  the  '  ugh  '  for  ?  See  here,  you  ain't  hintin' 
that  young  Dunn  was  cal'latin'  to  marry  Caroline  just  for 
her  money,  are  you?  Of  course  you  ain't!  Why,  you 
and  he  are  the  thickest  sort  of  chums.  You  wouldn't 
chum  with  a  feller  who  would  play  such  a  trick  as  that 
on  your  own  sister." 

Stephen's  scowl  deepened.  He  thrust  hk  hands  into 
his  pocket,  and  shifted  his  feet  uneasily. 

"  You  don't  understand,"  he  said.  "  People  don't  do 
things  here  as  they  do  where  you  come  from." 

289 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WA^RDS 

"I  understand  that,  all  right,"  with  dry  emphasis. 
"  I've  been  here  long  enough  to  understand  that.  But 
maybe  I  don't  understand  you.  Heave  ahead,  and  make 

it  plain." 

« -Well Well,  then  —  I  mean  this :  I  don't  know  that 

Mai  was  after  Caro's  money,  but  — but  he  had  a  right 
to  expect  some.  If  he  didn't,  why,  then  her  not  telling 
him  until  after  they  were  married  wouldn't  have  made 
any  difference.  And  — and  if  her  tellin'  him  before 
hand  should  make  a  difference  and  he  wanted  to  break 
the  engagement,  she's  just  romantic  fool  enough  to  let 
him." 

"Well?" 

"  Well?  If  she  doesn't  marry  him,  who's  going  to  take 
care  of  her?  What's  going  to  become  of  me?  We 
haven't  a  cent  What  kind  of  a  guardian  are  you?  Do 
you  want  us  to  starve  ?  " 

He  was  shouting  again.  The  captain  was  calm. 
"  Oh,"  he  said,  "  I  guess  it  won't  reach  to  the  starva 
tion  point.  I'm  a  pretty  tough  old  critter,  'cordin'  to  your 
estimate,  but  I  shouldn't  let  my  brother's  children  starve. 
If  the  wust  comes  to  the  wust,  there's  always  a  home  and 
plenty  to  eat  for  you  both  at  South  Denboro." 

This  offer  did  not  appear  to  comfort  the  young  gen 
tleman  greatly.  His  disgust  was  evident. 

"  South  Denboro !  "  he  repeated,  scornfully.  "  Gad ! 
.  .  .  South  Denboro ! " 

"  Yup.'  But  we'll  let  South  Denboro  alone  for  now 
and  stick  to  New  York.  What  is  it  you  expect  me  to 
do  ?  What  are  you  drivin'  at  ?  " 

Stephen  shook  a  forefinger  in  his  guardian's  face. 

"  I  expect  you  to  make  her  stick  to  her  engagement," 
he  cried.  "  And  make  her  make  him  stick.  She  can, 
can't  she?  It's  been  announced,  hasn't  it?  Everybody 

290 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

knows  of  it!  She's  got  the  right  —  the  legal  right  to 
hold  him,  hasn't  she?" 

His  uncle  regarded  him  with  a  quizzical  smile.  "  Why, 
ye-es,"  he  answered,  "  I  cal'late  she  has,  maybe.  Course, 
there's  no  danger  of  his  wantin'  to  do  such  a  thing,  but 
if  he  should  I  presume  likely  we  could  make  it  uncom 
fortable  for  him,  anyhow.  What  are  you  hankerin'  for, 
Steve  —  a  breach-of-promise  suit?  I've  always  under 
stood  those  sort  of  cases  were  kind  of  unpleasant  —  for 
everybody  but  the  newspapers." 

The  boy  was  in  deadly  earnest.  "  Pleasant ! "  he  re 
peated.  "Is  any  of  this  business  pleasant?  You  make 
her  act  like  a  sensible  girl !  You're  her  guardian,  and 
you  make  her!  And,  after  that,  if  he  tries  to  hedge,  you 
tell  him  a  few  things.  You  can  hold  him!  Do  it!  Do 
it!" 

Captain  Elisha  turned  on  his  heel  and  began  pacing 
up  and  down  the  room.  His  nephew  watched  him 
eagerly. 

"  Well,"  he  demanded,  after  a  moment,  "  what  are  we 
going  to  do  ?  Are  we  going  to  make  him  make  good  ?  " 

The  captain  paused.  "  Steve,"  he  answered,  deliber 
ately,  "  I  ain't  sure  as  we  are.  And,  as  I've  said,  if  he's 
got  a  spark  of  decency,  it  won't  be  necessary  for  us  to 
try.  If  it  should  be  —  if  it  should  be — " 

"Well,  if  it  should  be?" 

"  Then  we  can  try,  that's  all.  Maybe  you  run  a  course 
a  little  different  from  me,  Stevie;  you  navigate  'cordin' 
to  your  ideas,  and  I  do  by  mine.  But  in  some  ways  we 
ain't  so  fur  apart.  Son,"  with  a  grim  nod,  "  you  rest 
easy  on  one  thing  —  the  Corcoran  Dunn  fleet  is  goin'  to 
show  its  colors." 


CHAPTER  XIX 

CAROLINE  sat  by  the  library  window,  her  chin 
in  her  hand,  drearily  watching  the  sleet  as  it 
beat  against  the  panes,   and   the  tops   of  the 
Park  trees  lashing  in  the  wind.     Below,  in  the  street, 
the  trolleys  passed  in  their  never-ending  procession,  the 
limousines  and  cabs  whizzed  forlornly  by,  and  the  few 
pedestrians  pushed  dripping  umbrellas  against  the  gale. 
A  wet,  depressing  afternoon,  as  hopeless  as  her  thoughts, 
and  growing  darker  and  more  miserable  hourly. 

Stephen,  standing  by  the  fire,  kicked  the  logs  together 
and  sent  a  shower  of  sparks  flying. 

"  Oh,  say  something,  Caro,  do ! "  he  snapped  testily. 
"  Don't  sit  there  glowering ;  you  give  me  the  horrors." 

She  roused  from  her  reverie,  turned,  and  tried  to  smile. 

"What  shall  I  say?"  she  asked. 

"  I  don't  know.  But  say  something,  for  heaven's  sake ! 
Talk  about  the  weather,  if  you  can't  think  of  anything 
more  original." 

"  The  weather  isn't  a  very  bright  subject  just  now." 

"  I  didn't  say  it  was ;  but  it's  a  subject.  I  hope  to 
goodness  it  doesn't  prevent  Sylvester's  keeping  his  ap 
pointment.  He's  late,  as  it  is." 

"  Is  he?  "  wearily.     "  I  hadn't  noticed." 

"Of  course  you  hadn't.  You  don't  notice  anything. 
It  doesn't  help  matters  to  pull  a  long  face  and  go  mop 
ing  around  wiping  your  eyes.  You've  got  to  use  philos 
ophy  in  times  like  this.  It's  just  as  hard  for  me  as  it 
is  for  you ;  and  I  try  to  make  the  best  of  it,  don't  I  ?  " 

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CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

She  might  have  reminded  him  that  his  philosophy  was 
a  very  recent  acquisition.  When  the  news  of  their 
poverty  first  came  he  was  the  one  who  raved  and  sobbed 
and  refused  to  contemplate  anything  less  direful  than 
slow  starvation  or  quick  suicide.  She  had  soothed  and 
comforted  then.  Since  the  previous  evening,  when  he 
had  gone  out,  in  spite  of  her  protestations,  and  left  her 
alone,  his  manner  had  changed.  He  was  still  nervous 
and  irritable,  but  no  longer  threatened  self-destruction, 
and  seemed,  for  some  unexplained  reason,  more  hopeful 
and  less  desperate.  Sylvester  had  'phoned,  saying  that 
he  would  call  at  the  apartment  at  two,  and  since  Stephen 
had  received  the  message  he  had  been  in  a  state  of  sup 
pressed  excitement,  scarcely  keeping  still  for  five  minutes 
at  a  time. 

"  It  is  just  as  hard  for  me  as  it  is  for  you,  isn't  it  ?  " 
he  repeated. 

"  Yes,  Steve,  I  suppose  it  is." 

"You  suppose?  Don't  you  know?  Oh,  do  quit 
thinking  about  Mai  Dunn  and  pay  attention  to  me." 

She  did  not  answer.     He  regarded  her  with  disgust. 

"  You  are  thinking  of  Mai,  of  course,"  he  declared. 
"What's  the  use?  You  know  what  7  think:  you  were 
a  fool  to  write  him  that  letter." 

"  Don't,  Steve ;  please  don't." 

"  Ugh ! " 

"  Don't  you  know  he  didn't  get  the  letter  ?  I  was  so 
nervous  and  over-wrought  that  I  misdirected  it." 

"Pooh!  Has  he  ever  stayed,  a  way  from  you  so  long 
before?  Or  his  precious  mother,  either?  Why  doesn't 
she  come  to  see  you  ?  She  scarcely  missed  a  day  before 
this  happened.  Nonsense!  I  guess  he  got  it  all  right." 

"  Steve,  stop !  stop !  Don't  dare  speak  like  that.  Do 
you  realize  what  you  are  insinuating?  You  don't  be- 

293 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

lieve  it!  You  know  you  don't!  Shame  on  you!  I'm 
ashamed  of  my  brother !  No !  not  another  word  of  that 
kind,  or  I  shall  leave  the  room." 

She  had  risen  to  her  feet.  He  looked  at  her  deter 
mined  face  and  turned  away. 

"  Oh,  well,"  he  muttered,  sullenly,  "  maybe  you're  right. 
I  don't  say  you're  not.  Perhaps  he  didn't  get  the  letter. 
You  sent  it  to  his  office,  and  he  may  have  been  called 
out  of  town.  But  his  mother — ' 

"  Mrs.  Dunn  was  not  well  when  I  last  saw  her.  She 
may  be  ill." 

"  Perhaps.  But  if  you're  so  sure  about  them,  why 
not  let  it  go  at  that?  What's  the  use  of  fretting?  " 

"  I  was  not  thinking  of  them  —  then." 

As  a  matter  of  fact,  she  had  been  thinking  of  her 
uncle,  Elisha  Warren.  As  the  time  dragged  by,  she 
thought  of  him  more  and  more  —  not  as  the  uncouth 
countryman  whose  unwelcome  presence  had  been  forced 
into  her  life;  nor  as  the  hypocrite  whose  insult  to  her 
father's  memory  she  never  could  forgive  or  whose  double- 
dealing  had  been,  as  she  thought,  revealed;  but  as  the 
man  who,  with  the  choke  in  his  voice  and  the  tears  in 
his  eyes,  bade  her  remember  that,  whenever  she  needed 
help,  he  was  ready  and  glad  to  give  it. 

She  did  not  doubt  Malcolm's  loyalty.  Her  brother's 
hints  and  insinuations  found  no  echo  in  her  thoughts. 
In  the  note  which  she  had  written  her  fiance  she  told 
of  the  loss  of  their  fortune,  though  not  of  her  father's 
shame.  That  she  could  not  tell ;  nor  did  she  ask 
Malcolm  to  come  to  her  —  her  pride  would  not  permit 
that.  She  wrote  simply  of  her  great  trouble  and  trusted 
the  rest  to  him.  That  he  had  not  come  was  due  —  so 
she  kept  repeating  to  herself  —  solely  to  the  fact  that  he 

294 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

had  not  received  her  letter.     She  knew  that  was  it  — 
she  knew  it.     And  yet  —  and  yet  he  did  not  come. 

So,  in  her  loneliness  and  misery,  her  guardian's  words 
returned  again  and  again  to  her  memory :  "  Sometimes 
when  things  look  all  right  they  turn  out  to  be  all  wrong. 
If  ever  there  comes  a  time  like  that  to  you  and  Steve, 
remember  you've  got  me  to  turn  to."  The  time  had 
come  when  she  must  turn  to  someone. 

She  would  never  go  to  him ;  she  vowed  it.  She  would 
not  accept  his  help  if  he  came  to  her.  But,  if  he  was 
sincere,  if  he  meant  what  he  said,  why  did  he  not  come 
again  to  proffer  it?  Because  he  was  not  sincere,  of 
course.  That  had  been  proven  long  before.  She  de 
spised  him.  But  his  face,  as  she  last  saw  it,  refused 
to  be  banished  from  her  mind.  It  looked  so  strong, 
and  yet  gentle  and  loving,  like  the  face  of  a  protector, 
one  to  be  trusted  through  good  times  and  bad.  Oh,  this 
wicked,  wicked  world,  and  the  shams  and  sorrows  in 
it !  "  Malcolm,  why  don't  you  come  to  me  ?  " 

Stephen  uttered  an  exclamation.  Looking  up,  she 
saw  him  hurrying  toward  the  hall. 

"  Someone's  at  the  door,"  he  explained.  "  It's 
Sylvester,  of  course.  I'll  let  him  in." 

It  was  not  the  lawyer  but  a  messenger  boy  with  a 
note.  Stephen  returned  to  the  library  with  the  missive 
in  his  hand. 

"  He  couldn't  get  here,  Caro,"  he  said,  excitedly. 
"  Wants  us  to  come  right  down  to  his  office.  Hurry 
up !  Get  your  things  on.  The  cab's  waiting.  Come ! 
Rush !  It  may  be  important." 

The  cab,  an  electric  vehicle,  made  good  time,  and  they 
soon  reached  the  Pine  Street  offices,  where  they  were 
ushered  at  once  into  the  senior  partner's  presence. 

295 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Step  into  the  other  room,"  said  Mr.  Sylvestett  "  and 
wait  there,  please.  I'll  join  you  shortly." 

The  room  was  the  large  one  where  the  momentous 
conference  between  Captain  Elisha  and  the  three  lawyers 
had  so  recently  taken  place.  Caroline  seated  herself  in 
one  of  the  chairs.  Stephen  walked  the  floor. 

"  Hope  he  doesn't  keep  us  waiting  long,"  he  fumed. 
"  I  thought  of  course  he  was  ready  or  he  wouldn't  have 
sent  for  us." 

"  Ready  ? "  his  sister  looked  at  him,  questioningly. 
"  Ready  for  what  ?  "  she  repeated,  with  sudden  suspicion. 
"  Steve,  do  you  know  what  Mr.  Sylvester  wishes  to  see 
us  about  ?  " 

Her  brother  colored  and  seemed  a  bit  disconcerted. 
"  How  should  I  know  ?  "  he  muttered. 

"  Is  it  something  new  about  the  estate  or  that  man 
who  owns  it  ?  You  do  know  something !  I  can  see  it  in 
your  face.  What  is  it?" 

"  Nothing.     How  should  I  know  what  it  is  ?  " 

"  But  you  do.  I  believe  you  do.  Look  at  me !  What 
does  Mr.  Sylvester  want  of  us  ?  " 

The  boy  hesitated;  then  whirled  and  faced  her. 

"  See  here,  Caro,"  he  said,  "  maybe  I  do  know  some 
thing  —  or  I  can  guess.  Now,  whatever  happens,  you've 
got  to  be  a  sensible  girl.  Certain  things  have  to  be  dealt 
with  in  a  practical  way,  and  we're  practical  people.  Sen 
timent  —  and  pride  —  and  all  that  sort  of  stuff,  are  well 
enough,  but  business  is  business  and  an  engagement  is 
an  engagement.  Now  it's  right  up  to  you  and — " 

"  Steve,  what  are  you  talking  about  ?  " 

"That's  all  right.  I  know  what  I'm  talking  about. 
Somebody  in  the  family  must  use  common  sense,  and 
when  it  comes  to  holding  a  person  to  a  promise,  then  — 
Confound  it,  Sis,  we  can't  starve,  can  we  ?  " 

296 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Wl  <at  do  you  mean  ?  "  She  rose  and  advanced  to 
ward  him.  "What  do  you  mean  by  a  promise?  What 
have  you  been  doing  ?  " 

His  confusion  increased.  He  avoided  her  eyes  and 
moved  sullenly  toward  the  other  side  of  the  table. 

"  I  haven't  done  anything,"  he  grumbled,  "  that  is, 
I've  done  what  any  reasonable  fellow  would  do.  I'm 
not  the  only  one  who  thinks  .  .  .  Look  here ! 
We've  got  a  guardian,  haven't  we  ?  " 

"  A  guardian !  a  guardian !  Stephen  Warren,  have 
you  been  to  him  ?  Have  you  —  Was  that  where  you 
were  last  night  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  — " 

"  Answer  me !  " 

"What  if  I  have?  Whom  else  am  I  to  go  to?  Isn't 
he—" 

"  But  why  did  you  go  to  him  ?     What  did  you  say  ?  " 

"  I  said  —  I  said  —  Never  mind  what  I  said.  He 
agrees  with  me,  I  can  tell  you  that.  You'll  thank  your 
stars  I  did  go,  before  very  long.  I  ...  S-sh ! 
Here's  Sylvester." 

The  door  of  the  room  opened.  The  person  who  en 
tered,  however,  was  not  the  lawyer,  but  the  very  man 
of  whom  they  had  been  speaking,  Captain  Elisha  himself. 
He  closed  the  door  behind  him. 

"  Hello,  Stevie,"  he  said,  with  a  nod  to  the  boy. 
Then,  turning  to  his  niece,  he  stepped  forward  and  held 
out  his  hand.  "  Caroline,"  he  began,  "  I  don't  doubt 
you're  some  surprised  to  see  me  here;  but  I  .  .  . 
Why,  what's  the  matter  ?  " 

The  faces  of  the  pair  led  him  to  ask  the  question. 
Stephen's  was  red  and  he  looked  embarrassed  and  guilty. 
Caroline's  was  white,  and  she  glanced  from  her  brother 
to  her  guardian  and  back  again,  with  flashing  eyes. 

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CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  repeated  the  captain.  "  Steve," 
sharply,  "  have  you  been  making  a  fool  of  yourself 
again?  What  is  it?" 

"  Nothing,"  was  the  sulky  answer ;  "  nothing  of  con 
sequence.  Caro  is  —  well,  I  happened  to  mention  that 
I  called  on  you  last  night  and  —  and  she  doesn't  seem 
to  like  it,  that's  all.  As  I  told  her,  somebody  in  the 
family  had  to  use  common  sense,  and  you  were  our 
guardian  and  naturally,  under  the  circumstances  .  .  . 
Why,  I'll  leave  it  to  anyone ! "  with  a  burst  of  righteous 
indignation.  "  You  are  our  guardian." 

He  proclaimed  it  as  if  he  expected  a  denial.  Captain 
Elisha  frowned.  "  Humph !  "  he  grunted.  "  That  ain't 
exactly  news,  is  it,  Steve?  Seems  to  me  we've  taken 
up  that  p'int  afore;  though,  as  I  remember,  you  didn't 
used  to  be  sot  on  all  hands  knowin'  it,"  with  dry  sar 
casm.  "  I  don't  need  even  your  common  sense  to  re 
mind  me  of  it  just  at  this  minute.  Caroline,  your 
brother  did  come  to  see  me  last  night.  I  was  glad  he 
did." 

She  ignored  him.  "  Steve,"  she  demanded,  still  facing 
the  young  man,  "  was  this,  too,  a  part  of  your  plan  ?  Did 
you  bring  me  here  to  meet  —  him  ?  " 

"  No,  I  didn't.  Sylvester  was  to  come  to  see  us. 
You  know  that;  he  telephoned.  I  didn't  know — " 

The  captain  interrupted.  "  There,  there,  son ! "  he 
exclaimed,  "let  me  say  a  word.  No,  Caroline,  Stevie 
didn't  know  I  was  to  meet  you  here.  But  I  thought  it 
was  necessary  that  I  should.  Set  down,  please.  I  know 
you  must  be  worn  out,  poor  girl." 

"  I  don't  wish  to  sit.  I  want  to  know  what  my  brother 
called  to  see  you  about." 

"  Well,  there  was  some  matters  he  wanted  to  talk 
over." 

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CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  What  were  they  ?     Concerning  the  estate  ?  " 

"  Partly  that." 

"  Partly  ?  What  else  ?  Captain  Warren,  my  brother 
has  hinted  —  he  has  said  —  What  does  he  mean  by  hold 
ing  someone  to  a  promise?  Answer  me  truthfully." 

"  I  shouldn't  answer  you  any  other  way,  Caroline. 
Steve  seems  to  be  worried  about  —  now  you  mustn't  mind 
my  speakin'  plain,  Caroline ;  the  time's  come  when  I've 
got  to  —  Steve  seems  to  be  worried  about  the  young  man 
you're  engaged  to.  He  seems  to  cal'late  that  Mr.  Dunn 
may  want  to  slip  out  of  that  engagement." 

His  niece  looked  at  him.  Then  she  turned  to  her 
brother.  "  You  went  to  him  and  .  .  .  Oh,  how 
could  you ! " 

Stephen  would  not  meet  her  gaze.  "  Well,"  he  mut 
tered  rebelliously,  "  why  wouldn't  I  ?  You  know  your 
self  that  Mai  hasn't  been  near  you  since  it  happened. 
If  he  wasn't  after  —  if  he  was  straight,  he  would  have 
come,  wouldn't  he?  Mind,  I  don't  say  he  isn't  —  per 
haps  he  doesn't  know.  But,  at  any  rate,  something  must 
be  done.  We  had  to  face  possibilities,  and  you  wouldn't 
listen  to  me.  I  tried — " 

"  Stop  !  "  she  cut  him  short,  imperiously.  "  Don't  make 
me  hate  you.  And  you,"  turning  to  her  uncle,  "  did  you 
listen  and  believe  such  things?  Did  you  encourage  him 
to  believe  them?  Oh,  I  know  what  you  think  of  my 
friends !  I  heard  it  from  your  own  lips.  And  I  know 
why  you  think  it.  Because  they  know  what  you  are ; 
because  they  exposed  you  and — " 

"  There,  there !  Caroline,  you  needn't  go  on.  I've 
heard  your  opinion  of  my  character  afore.  Never  mind 
me  for  the  minute.  And,  if  you'll  remember,  /  ain't  said 
that  I  doubted  your  young  man.  You  told  me  that  you 
thought  the  world  and  all  of  him  and  that  he  did  of  you. 
20  299 


CAP'K  WARREN'S  WARDS 

That's  enough  —  or  ought  to  be.     But  your  brother  says 
you  wrote  him  two  days  ago  and  he  ain't  been  near  you." 

"  I  misdirected  the  letter.     He  didn't  receive  it." 

"  Um-hm.     I  see.     That  would  explain." 

"  Of  course  it  would.     That  must  be  the  reason." 

"  Yes,  seem's  if  it  must." 

"  It  is.  What  right  have  you  to  doubt  it  ?  Oh,  how 
can  you  think  such  things?  Can  you  suppose  the  man 
I  am  to  marry  is  so  despicable  —  so  mean  as  to  —  as 
to  —  I'm  ashamed  to  say  it.  Why  do  you  presume  that 
money  has  any  part  in  our  engagement?  Such  trouble 
as  mine  only  makes  it  more  binding.  Do  you  suppose  if 
he  were  poor  as  —  as  I  am,  that  I  would  desert  him? 
You  know  I  wouldn't.  I  should  be  glad  —  yes,  almost 
happy,  because  then  I  could  show  him  —  could — " 

Her  voice  failed  her.  She  put  her  handkerchief  to  her 
eyes  for  an  instant  and  then  snatched  it  away  and  faced 
them,  her  head  erect.  The  pride  in  her  face  was  re 
flected  in  Captain  Elisha's  as  he  regarded  her. 

"  No,  no,"  he  said  gently,  "  I  never  supposed  you'd 
act  but  in  one  way,  Caroline.  I  knew  you.  And,  as 
Steve'll  tell  you,  I  said  to  him  almost  the  same  words 
you've  been  sayin'.  If  Malcolm's  what  he'd  ought  to 
be,  I  said,  he'll  be  glad  of  the  chance  to  prove  how  much 
he  cares  for  your  sister.  But  Steve  appeared  to  have 
some  misgivin's,  and  so — " 

He  paused,  turned  toward  the  door,  and  seemed  to  be 
listening.  Caroline  flashed  an  indignant  glance  at  her 
brother. 

"And  so?"  she  asked,  scornfully. 

"  And  so,"  continued  the  captain,  with  a  slight  change 
in  his  tone,  "  it  seemed  to  me  that  his  doubts  ought  to 
be  settled.  And,"  rising,  as  there  came  a  tap  at  the 
door,  "  I  cal'late  they're  goin'  to  be." 

300 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  walked  briskly  over  and  opened  the  door.  Syl 
vester  was  standing  without. 

"  Come,  have  they  ?  "  inquired  Captain  Elisha. 

"  Yes." 

"  Fetch  Jem  right  in  here.  Steve,  stand  over  nigher 
that  corner.  This  way,  Caroline,  if  you  please." 

He  took  his  niece  by  the  arm  and  led  her  to  the  side 
of  the  room  not  visible  from  the  doorway.  She  was  too 
astonished  to  resist,  but  asked  an  agitated  question. 

"What  is  it?"  she  cried.     "Who  is  coming?" 

"  Some  friends  of  yours,"  was  the  quiet  reply. 
'  Nothin'  to  be  frightened  about.  Steve,  stay  where  you 
are." 

The  boy  was  greatly  excited.  "  Is  it  they  ? "  he  de 
manded.  "Is  it?  By  gad!  Now,  Sis,  be  a  sensible 
girl.  If  he  should  try  to  hedge,  you  hold  him.  Hold 
him !  Understand  ?  " 

"  Steve,  be  quiet,"  ordered  the  captain.  ..."  Ah? 
Mrs.  Dunn,  good  afternoon,  ma'am.  Mr.  Dunn,  good 
afternoon,  sir." 

For  the  pair  who,  followed  by  Sylvester,  now  entered 
the  room  were  Mrs.  Corcoran  Dunn  and  Malcolm. 

They  were  past  the  sill  before  Captain  Elisha's  greet 
ing  caused  them  to  turn  and  see  the  three  already  there. 
Mrs.  Dunn,  who  was  in  the  lead,  stopped  short  in  her 
majestic  though  creaking  march  of  entrance,  and  her 
florid  face  turned  a  brighter  crimson.  Her  son,  strolling 
languidly  at  her  heels,  started  violently  and  dropped  his 
hat  The  lawyer,  bringing  up  in  the  rear,  closed  the 
door  and  remained  standing  near  it.  Caroline  uttered 
an  exclamation  of  surprise.  Her  brother  drew  himself 
haughtily  erect.  Captain  Elisha  remained  unperturbed 
and  smiling. 

"  Good  afternoon,  ma'am,"  he  repeated.  "  It's  been 
301 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

some  time  since  you  and  I  run  across  each  other.  I  hope 
you're  feelin'  pretty  smart." 

Mrs.  Dunn  had  faced  some  unpleasant  situations  in 
her  life  and  had  proved  equal  to  them.  Usually,  how 
ever,  she  had  been  prepared  beforehand.  For  this  she 
had  not  been  prepared  —  as  yet.  She  had  come  to  the 
offices  of  Sylvester,  Kuhn,  and  Graves,  at  the  senior 
partner's  request,  to  be  told,  as  she  supposed,  the  full 
and  final  details  of  the  financial  disaster  threatening 
the  Warren  family.  If  those  details  should  prove  the 
disaster  as  overwhelming  as  it  appeared,  then  —  well, 
then,  certain  disagreeable  duties  must  be  performed. 
But  to  meet  the  girl  to  whom  her  son  was  engaged, 
and  whom  she  and  he  had  carefully  avoided  meeting 
until  the  lawyers  should  acquaint  them  with  the  whole 
truth  —  to  meet  this  girl,  and  her  brother,  and  her 
guardian,  thus  unexpectedly  and  unprepared,  was  enough 
to  shake  the  composure  and  nerve  of  even  such  a  veteran 
campaigner  as  Mrs.  M.  Corcoran  Dunn. 

But  of  the  three  to  whom  the  meeting  was  an  abso 
lute  surprise, —  Caroline,  Malcolm  and  herself  —  she  was 
characteristically  the  first  to  regain  outward  serenity. 
For  a  moment  she  stood  nonplused  and  speechless,  but 
only  for  a  moment.  Then  she  hastened,  with  out 
stretched  arms,  to  Caroline  and  clasped  her  in  affection 
ate  embrace. 

"  My  dear  child !  "  she  cried ;  "  my  dear  girl !  I'm  so 
glad  to  see  you!  I've  thought  of  you  so  much!  And 
I  pity  you  so.  Poor  Malcolm  has  —  Malcolm,"  sharply, 
"  come  here !  Don't  you  see  Caroline  ?  " 

Malcolm  was  groping  nervously  for  his  hat.  He 
picked  it  up  and  obeyed  his  mother's  summons,  though 
with  no  great  eagerness. 

"  How  d'ye  do,  Caroline,"  he  stammered,  confusedly. 
302 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"I  —  I  —  It's  a  deuce  of  a  surprise  to  see  you  down  here. 
The  mater  and  I  didn't  expect  —  that  is,  we  scarcely 
hoped  to  meet  anyone  but  Sylvester.  He  sent  for  us, 
you  know." 

He  extended  his  hand.     She  did  not  take  it. 

"Did  you  get  my  letter?"  she  asked,  quickly.  Mrs. 
Dunn  answered  for  him. 

"  Yes,  dear,  he  got  it,"  she  said.  "  The  poor  fellow 
was  almost  crazy.  I  began  to  fear  for  his  sanity ;  I  did, 
indeed.  I  did  not  dare  trust  him  out  of  my  sight.  Oh, 
if  you  could  but  know  how  we  feel  for  you  and  pity 
you ! " 

Pity  was  not  what  Caroline  wanted  just  then.  The 
word  jarred  upon  her.  She  avoided  the  lady's  embrace 
and  once  more  faced  the  embarrassed  Malcolm. 

"You  got  my  letter?"  she  cried.     "You  did?" 

"  Yes  —  er  —  yes,  I  got  it,  Caroline.  I  —  by  Jove,  you 
know  — " 

He  hesitated,  stammered,  and  looked  thoroughly  un 
comfortable.  His  mother  regarded  him  wrath  fully. 

"  Well,"  she  snapped,  "  why  don't  you  go  on  ?  Canv 
line,  dear,  you  really  must  excuse  him.  The  dear  boy 
is  quite  overcome." 

Captain  Elisha  stepped  forward. 

"  Excuse  me  for  interrupting  ma'am,"  he  said,  address 
ing  the  ruffled  matron ;  "  but  I  know  you're  sort  of  sur 
prised  to  see  us  all  here  and  maybe  I'd  better  explain. 
Mr.  Sylvester  told  me  you  and  your  son  had  an  appoint 
ment  with  him  for  this  afternoon.  Now  there  was  some 
thing  we  —  or  I,  anyhow  —  wanted  to  talk  with  you 
about,  so  I  thought  we  might  as  well  make  one  job  of  it. 
Sylvester's  a  pretty  busy  man,  and  I  know  he  has  other 
things  to  attend  to;  so  why  not  let  him  go  ahead  and 
tell  you  what  you  come  to  hear,  and  then  we  can  take 

303 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

up  the  other  part  by  ourselves.  He's  told  me  what  you 
wanted  to  see  him  about,  and  it's  somethin'  we're  all 
interested  in,  bein'  as  we're  one  family  —  or  goin'  to  be 
pretty  soon.  So  suppose  he  just  tells  you  now.  Ain't 
that  a  good  idea  ?  " 

Mrs.  Dunn  looked  at  the  speaker,  and  then  at  the 
lawyer,  and  seemed  to  have  caught  some  of  her  son's 
embarrassment. 

"I  —  we  did  have  an  appointment  with  Mr.  Sylvester," 
she  admitted,  reluctantly ;  "  but  the  business  was  not 
important.  And,"  haughtily,  "  I  do  not  care  to  discuss 
it  here." 

The  captain  opened  his  eyes.  "  Hey  ?  "  he  exclaimed. 
"Not  important?  You  surprise  me,  ma'am.  I  judged 
'twas  mighty  important.  'Twas  about  the  real  size  of 
your  father's  estate,  Caroline,"  turning  to  the  girl.  "  I 
thought  Mrs.  Dunn  and  Mr.  Malcolm  must  think  'twas 
important,  for  I  understand  they've  been  telephonin'  and 
askin'  for  appointments  for  the  last  two  days.  Why, 
yes!  and  they  come  way  down  here  in  all  this  storm 
on  purpose  to  talk  it  over  with  him.  Am  I  wrong? 
Ain't  that  so,  ma'am  ?  " 

It  was  so,  and  Mrs.  Dunn  could  not  well  deny  it. 
Therefore,  she  took  refuge  in  a  contemptuous  silence. 
The  captain  nodded. 

"  As  to  discussin'  it  here,"  he  went  on  with  bland 
innocence,  "  why,  we're  all  family  folks,  same  as  I  said, 
and  there  ain't  any  secrets  between  us  on  that  subject. 
So  suppose  we  all  listen  while  Mr.  Sylvester  tells  just 
what  he'd  have  told  you  and  Mr.  Malcolm.  It's  pretty 
hard  to  hear ;  but  bad  news  is  soon  told.  Heave  ahead, 
Mr.  Sylvester." 

Mrs.  Dunn  made  one  more  attempt  to  avoid  the  crisis 
she  saw  was  approaching. 

304 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Surely,  Caroline,"  she  said  testily,  "  you  don't  wish 
your  private  affairs  treated  in  this  public  manner. 
Come,  let  us  go." 

She  laid  a  hand  on  the  girl's  arm.  Captain  Elisha 
quietly  interposed. 

"No,  no,"  he  said.  "We'll  all  stay  here.  There's 
nothin'  public  about  it." 

Caroline,  crimson  with  mortification,  protested  indig 
nantly. 

"  Mr.  Sylvester,"  she  said,  "  it  is  not  necessary  to  — " 

"  Excuse  me ;  "  her  uncle's  tone  was  sharper  and  more 
stern ;  "  I  think  it  is.  Go  on,  Sylvester." 

The  lawyer  looked  far  from  comfortable,  but  he  spoke 
at  once  and  to  the  point. 

"  I  should  have  told  you  and  your  son  just  this,  Mrs. 
Dunn,"  he  said.  "  I  intimated  it  before,  and  Miss  War 
ren  had  already  written  you  the  essential  facts.  A  new 
and  unexpected  development,  the  nature  of  which  I  am 
not  at  liberty  to  disclose  now  or  later,  makes  Abijah 
Warren's  estate  absolutely  bankrupt.  Not  only  that,  but 
many  thousand  dollars  in  debt.  His  heirs  are  left  penni 
less.  That  is  the  plain  truth,  I'm  very  sorry  to  say. 
There  is  no  hope  of  anything  better.  You'll  forgive  me, 
Miss  Warren,  I  hope,  for  putting  it  so  bluntly;  but  I 
thought  it  best  to  avoid  every  possible  misunderstanding." 

It  was  blunt,  beyond  doubt.  Even  Captain  Elisha 
winced  at  the  word  "  penniless."  Stephen  muttered  un 
der  his  breath  and  turned  his  back.  Caroline,  swaying, 
put  a  hand  on  the  table  to  steady  herself.  The  Dunns 
looked  at  each  other. 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Sylvester,"  said  the  captain,  quietly. 
"  I'll  see  you  again  in  a  few  moments." 

The  lawyer  bowed  and  left  the  room,  evidently  glad 
to  escape.  Captain  Elisha  turned  to  Mrs.  Dunn. 

305 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  And  now,  ma'am,"  he  observed,  "  that  part  of  the 
business  is  over.  The  next  part's  even  more  in  the  fam 
ily,  so  I  thought  we  didn't  need  legal  advice.  You  see 
just  how  matters  stand.  My  niece  is  a  poor  girl.  She 
needs  somebody  to  support  her  and  look  out  for  her. 
She's  got  that  somebody,  we're  all  thankful  to  say. 
She's  engaged  to  Mr.  Malcolm  here.  And,  as  you're  his 
ma,  Mrs.  Dunn,  and  I'm  Caroline's  guardian,  us  old 
folks'll  take  our  affairs  in  hand;  they  needn't  listen,  if 
they  don't  want  to.  I  understand  from  Steve  that  Mal 
colm's  been  mighty  anxious  to  have  the  weddin'  day 
hurried  along.  I  can't  say  as  I  blame  him.  And  / 
think  the  sooner  they're  married  the  better.  Now,  how 
soon  can  we  make  it,  Mrs.  Dunn  ?  " 

This  unexpected  and  matter-of-fact  query  was  vari 
ously  received.  Mrs.  Dunn  frowned  and  flushed.  Mal 
colm  frowned,  also.  Steve  nodded  emphatic  approval. 
As  for  Caroline,  she  gazed  at  her  guardian  in  horrified 
amazement. 

"Why!"  she  cried.  " You  —  you  —  What  do  you 
mean  by  such  — " 

"  Don't  be  an  idiot,  Caro ! "  cut  in  her  brother.  "  I 
told  you  to  be  sensible.  Captain  Warren's  dead  right." 

"  Stevie,  you  stay  out  of  this."  There  was  no  misun 
derstanding  the  captain's  tone.  "When  I  want  your 
opinion  I'll  ask  for  it.  And,  Caroline,  I  want  you  to 
stay  out,  too.  This  is  my  trick  at  the  wheel.  Mrs.  Dunn, 
what  d'you  say?  Never  mind  the  young  folks.  You 
and  me  know  that  marriage  is  business,  same  as  every 
thing  else.  How  soon  can  we  have  the  weddin'  ?  " 

Mrs.  Dunn  had,  apparently,  nothing  to  say  —  to  him. 
She  addressed  her  next  remark  to  Caroline. 

"  My  dear,"  she  said,  in  great  agitation,  "  this  is  really 
too  dreadful.  This  —  er  —  guardian  of  yours  appears 

306 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

to  think  he  is  in  some  barbarous  country  —  ordering  the 
savages  about.  Come !  Malcolm,  take  her  away." 

"  No,"  Captain  Elisha  stepped  in  front  of  the  door. 
"  She  ain't  goin' ;  and  I'd  rather  you  wouldn't  go  yet. 
Let's  settle  this  up  now.  I  ain't  askin'  anything  un 
reasonable.  Caroline's  under  my  charge,  and  I've  got 
to  plan  for  her.  Your  boy's  just  crazy  to  marry  her; 
he's  been  beggin'  for  her  to  name  the  day.  Let's  name 
it.  It  needn't  be  to-morrow.  I  cal'late  you'll  want  to 
get  out  invitations  and  such.  It  needn't  be  next  week. 
But  just  say  about  when  it  can  be;  then  I'll  know  how  to 
plan.  That  ain't  much  to  ask,  sartin." 

Much  or  little,  neither  Mrs.  Dunn  nor  her  son  appeared 
ready  to  answer.  Malcolm  fidgeted  with  his  hat  and 
gloves ;  his  mother  fanned  herself  with  her  handkerchief. 
Caroline,  frantic  with  humiliation  and  shame,  would 
have  protested  again,  but  her  guardian's  stern  shake  of 
the  head  silenced  her. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Dunn,"  turning  to  the  groom-to-be ; 
"  you're  one  of  the  interested  parties  —  what  do  you 
say?" 

Malcolm  ground  his  heel  into  the  rug.  "  I  don't  con 
sider  it  your  business,"  he  declared.  "  You're  butting  in 
where  — " 

"  No,  no,  I  ain't.  It's  my  business,  and  business  is 
just  what  it  is.  Your  ma  knows  that.  She  and  I  had  a 
real  confidential  up  and  down  talk  on  love  and  mar 
riage,  and  she's  the  one  that  proved  to  me  that  marryin* 
in  high  society,  like  yours  and  the  kind  Caroline's  been 
circulatin'  in,  was  business  and  mighty  little  else. 
There's  a  business  contract  between  you  and  my  niece. 
We  want  to  know  how  soon  it  can  be  carried  out,  that's 
all." 

The  young  man  looked  desperately  at  the  door;  but 

307 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

the  captain's  broad  shoulders  blocked  the  way  towards 
it.  He  hesitated,  scowled,  and  then,  with  a  shrug  of  his 
shoulders,  surrendered. 

"  How  can  I  marry  ?  "  he  demanded  sullenly.  "  Con 
found  it!  my  salary  isn't  large  enough  to  pay  my  own 
way,  decently." 

"  Malcolm ! "  cried  his  mother,  warningly. 

"  Well,  Mater,  what  the  devil's  the  use  of  all  this  ? 
You  know  ...  By  Jove !  you  ought  to !  " 

"  Hold  on,  young  feller !  I  don't  understand.  Your 
wages  ain't  large  enough,  you  say  ?  What  do  you  mean  ? 
You  was  gain'  to  be  married,  wasn't  you  ?  " 

Mrs.  Dunn  plunged  to  the  rescue,  a  forlorn  hope,  but 
desperate,  and  fighting  to  the  end. 

"  An  outrage !  "  she  blurted.  "  Malcolm,  I  forbid  you 
to  continue  this  disgusting  conversation.  Caroline,  my 
poor  child,  I  don't  blame  you  for  this,  but  I  call  on 
you  to  stop  it  at  once.  My  dear,  I  — " 

She  advanced  toward  the  girl  with  outstretched  arms. 
Caroline  recoiled. 

"Don't!  don't!"  she  gasped.  Captain  Elisha  spoke 
up  sharp  and  stern. 

"  Excuse  me,  ma'am,"  he  said,  "  but  I'll  be  obliged  if 
you'll  wait  a  minute.  Caroline,  don't  you  say  a  word. 
You  say  —  you  — "  addressing  Malcolm,  "  that  you  can't 
support  a  wife  on  your  wages.  You  surprise  me  some, 
considerin'  the  swath  you've  been  cuttin'  on  'em  —  but 
never  mind  that.  Maybe  they  won't  keep  automobiles 
and  —  er  —  other  things  I've  heard  you  was  interested 
in,  but  if  you  cut  them  out  and  economize  a  little,  same 
as  young  married  folks  I've  known  have  been  glad  to 
do,  you  could  scrape  along,  couldn't  you?  Hey? 
Couldn't  you  ?  " 

Malcolm's  answer  was  another  scornful  shrug.  "  You 
308 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

belong  on  Cape  Cod,"  he  sneered.  "  Mater,  let's  get  out 
of  this." 

"  Wait !  Put  it  plain  now.  Do  I  understand  that  you 
cal'late  to  break  the  engagement  because  my  niece  has  lost 
her  money?  Is  that  it?  " 

Mrs.  Dunn  realized  that  the  inevitable  was  upon  them. 
After  all,  it  might  as  well  be  faced  now  as  later. 

"  This  is  ridiculous,"  she  proclaimed.  "  Every  sane 
person  knows  —  though  barbarians  may  not  — "  with  a 
venomous  glare  at  the  captain  — "  that,  in  engagements 
of  the  kind  in  which  my  son  shared,  a  certain  amount  of 
—  er  —  financial  —  er  —  that  is,  the  bride  is  supposed 
to  have  some  money.  It  is  expected.  Of  course  it  is! 
Love  in  a  cottage  is  —  well  —  a  bit  passe.  My  son  and 
I  pity  your  niece  from  the  bottom  of  our  hearts,  but  — 
there !  under  the  circumstances  the  whole  affair  becomes 
impossible.  Caroline,  my  dear,  I'm  dreadfully  sorry, 
dreadfully!  I  love  you  like  my  own  child.  And  poor 
Malcolm  will  be  heartbroken  —  but  —  you  see" 

She  extended  her  hand  in  a  gesture  of  utter  helpless 
ness.  Stephen,  who  had  been  fuming  and  repressing  his 
rage  with  difficulty  during  the  scene,  leaped  forward  with 
brandished  fist. 

"  By  gad !  "  he  shouted.     "  Mai  Dunn,  you  cad  — " 

His  uncle  pushed  him  back  with  a  sweep  of  his  arm. 

"  Steve,"  he  ordered,  "  I'm  runnin'  this  ship."  He 
gave  a  quick  glance  at  his  niece,  and  then  added,  speaking 
lapidly  and  addressing  the  head  of  the  Dunn  family, 
"  I  see,  ma'am.  Yes,  yes,  I  see.  Well,  you've  forgot 
one  thing,  I  guess.  Caroline's  lived  in  high  society,  too. 
And  I've  been  in  it  a  spell,  myself.  And  Steve's  a  boy, 
but  he's  got  a  business  head.  If  there's  nothin'  in  mar 
riage  but  business,  then  an  engagement  is  what  I  just 
called  it,  a  business  contract,  and  it  can't  be  broke  without 

309 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

the  consent  of  both  sides.  You  wanted  Caroline's 
money;  maybe  she  wants  yours  now.  If  she  does,  and 
there's  such  a  thing  as  law,  why,  perhaps  she  can  get  it." 

"  That's  the  talk !  "  cried  Stephen  exultingly. 

"  Yup ;  perhaps  she  can.  She  may  be  a  business 
woman,  too,  you  know.  If  money  and  style  and  social 
position's  what  counts  and  she  wants  to  force  you  to 
keep  your  promise,  why,  I'm  her  guardian  and  she  can 
count  on  me  to  back  her  up.  What  do  you  say,  Caroline  ? 
I'm  at  your  service.  I  — " 

But  Caroline  interrupted  him. 

"  Stop !  "  she  cried  wildly.  "  Oh,  stop !  Do  you  think 
—  do  you  suppose  I  would  marry  him  now?  Now, 
after  I've  seen  what  he  is?  Oh,"  with  a  shudder  of 
disgust,  "  when  I  think  what  I  might  have  done,  I 
.  .  .  Thank  God  that  the  money  has  gone !  I'm  glad 
I'm  poor!  I'm  glad!" 

"  Caro,  you  fool !  "  shrieked  Stephen.  She  did  not 
heed  him. 

"  Let  me  go ! "  she  cried.  "  Let  me  get  away  from 
him ;  from  this  room !  I  never  want  to  see  him  or  think 
of  him  again.  Please!  please  let  me  go!  Oh,  take  me 
home !  Captain  Warren,  please  let  me  go  home !  " 

Her  uncle  was  at  her  side  in  a  moment.  "  Yes,  yes, 
dearie,"  he  said,  "  I'll  take  you  home.  Don't  give  way 
now!  I'll—" 

He  would  have  taken  her  arm,  but  she  shrank  from 
him. 

"  Not  you ! "  she  begged.    "  Steve !  " 

The  captain's  face  clouded,  but  he  answered  promptly. 

"Of  course — Steve,"  he  agreed.  "Steve,  take  your 
sister  home.  Mr.  Sylvester's  got  a  carriage  waitin',  and 
he'll  go  with  you,  I  don't  doubt.  Do  as  I  tell  you,  boy  — 
and  behave  yourself.  Don't  wait;  go!" 

310 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  held  the  door  open  until  the  hysterical  girl  and  her 
brother  had  departed.  Then  he  turned  to  the  Dunns. 

"Well,  ma'am,"  he  said,  dryly.  "I  don't  know's 
there's  anything  more  to  be  said.  All  the  questions 
seem  to  be  settled.  Our  acquaintance  wa'n't  so  awful 
long,  but  it  was  interestin'.  Knowin'  you  has  been,  as 
the  feller  said,  a  liberal  education.  Don't  let  me  keep 
you  any  longer.  Good  afternoon." 

He  stepped  away  from  the  door.  Malcolm  and  his 
mother  remained  standing,  for  an  instant,  where  they 
Tvere  when  Caroline  left. 

The  young  man  looked  as  if  he  would  enjoy  choking 
someone,  the  captain  preferably,  but  said  nothing.  Then 
Mrs.  Dunn  bethought  herself  of  a  way  to  make  their 
exit  less  awkward  and  embarrassing. 

"  My  heart !  "  she  said,  gasping,  and  with  a  clutch  at 
her  breast.  "  My  poor  heart !  I  —  I  fear  I'm  going  to 
have  one  of  my  attacks.  Malcolm,  your  arm  —  quick !  " 

With  an  expression  of  intense  but  patient  suffering, 
and  leaning  heavily  upon  her  son's  arm,  she  moved  past 
Captain  Elisha  and  from  the  room. 

That  evening  the  captain  stood  in  the  lower  hall  of 
the  apartment  house  at  Central  Park  West,  undecided 
what  to  do  next.  He  wished  more  than  anything  else  in 
the  world  to  go  to  his  niece.  He  would  have  gone  to  her 
before  —  had  been  dying  to  go,  to  soothe,  to  comfort, 
to  tell  her  of  his  love  —  but  he  was  afraid.  His  con 
science  troubled  him.  Perhaps  he  had  been  too  brutal. 
Perhaps  he  shouldn't  have  acted  as  he  did.  Maybe 
forcing  the  Dunn  fleet  to  show  its  colors  could  have  been 
done  more  diplomatically.  "  He  had  wanted  her  to  see 
those  colors  for  herself,  to  actually  see  them.  But  he 
might  have  overdone  it.  He  remembered  how  she 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

shrank  from  him  and  turned  to  her  brother.  She  might 
hate  him  more  than  ever  now.  If  so,  then  the  whole 
scheme  under  which  he  was  working  fell  to  pieces. 

He  was  worried  about  Steve,  too.  That  young  man 
would,  naturally,  be  furious  with  his  sister  for  what  he 
would  consider  her  romantic  foolishness.  He  had  been 
warned  to  behave  himself;  but  would  he?  Captain 
Elisha  paced  up  and  down  the  marble  floor  before  the 
elevator  cage  and  wondered  whether  his  visiting  the 
apartment  would  be  a  wise  move  or  a  foolish  one. 

The  elevator  descended,  the  door  of  the  cage  opened, 
and  Stephen  himself  darted  out.  His  face  was  red,  he 
was  scowling  fiercely,  and  he  strode  toward  the  street 
without  looking  in  his  guardian's  direction. 

The  captain  caught  him  as  he  passed. 

"Here,  boy!"  he  exclaimed;  "  where's  the  fire? 
Where  are  you  bound  ?  " 

His  nephew,  brought  thus  unexpectedly  to  a  halt, 
stared  at  him. 

"  Oh,  it's  you !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  Humph !  I'm  bound 
—  I  don't  know  where  I'm  bound !  " 

"  You  don't,  hey  ?  Well,  you  can  cruise  a  long  ways 
on  a  v'yage  like  that.  What  do  you  mean?" 

"  Aw,  let  me  alone !  I'm  going  to  the  club,  I  guess, 
or  somewhere.  Anyhow,  I  won't  stay  with  her.  I  told 
her  so.  Silly  little  idiot !  By  gad,  she  understands  what 
I  think  of  her  conduct.  I'll  never  speak  to  her  again. 
I  told  her  so.  She  — " 

"Here!  Belay!  Stop!  Who  are  you  talking 
about?" 

"  Caro,  of  course.     She  — " 

"You've  run  off  and  left  her  alone  —  to-night ? 
Where  is  she?" 

"  Upstairs  —  and  crying,  I  suppose.  She  doesn't  do 
312 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

anything  else.  It's  all  she's  good  for.  Selfish,  roman 
tic—" 

He  got  no  further,  for  Captain  Elisha  sent  him  reeling 
with  a  push  and  ran  to  the  elevator. 

"  Eighth  floor,"  he  commanded. 

The  door  of  the  apartment  was  not  latched.  Stephen, 
in  his  rage  and  hurry,  had  neglected  such  trifles.  The 
captain  opened  it  quietly  and  walked  in.  He  entered  the 
library.  Caroline  was  lying  on  the  couch,  her  head 
buried  in  the  pillows.  She  did  not  hear  him  cross  the 
room.  He  leaned  over  and  touched  her  shoulder.  She 
started,  looked,  and  sat  up,  gazing  at  him  as  though  not 
certain  whether  he  was  a  dream  or  reality. 

And  he  looked  at  her,  at  her  pretty  face,  now  so  white 
and  careworn,  at  her  eyes,  at  the  tear-stains  on  her 
cheeks,  and  his  whole  heart  went  out  to  her. 

"  Caroline,  dearie,"  he  faltered,  "  forgive  me  for  comin' 
here,  won't  you?  I  had  to  come.  I  couldn't  leave  you 
alone ;  I  couldn't  rest,  thinkin'  of  you  alone  in  your 
trouble.  I  know  you  must  feel  harder  than  ever  towards 
me  for  this  afternoon's  doin's,  but  I  meant  it  for  the 
best.  I  had  to  show  you  —  don't  you  see  ?  Can  you 
forgive  me  ?  Won't  you  try  to  forgive  the  old  feller  that 
loves  you  more'n  all  the  world  ?  Won't  you  try  ?  " 

She  looked  at  him,  wide-eyed,  clasping  and  unclasping 
her  hands. 

"I  forgive  you?"  she  repeated,  incredulously. 

"  Yes.  Try  to,  dearie.  Oh,  if  you  would  only  believe 
I  meant  it  for  your  good,  and  nothin'  else !  If  you  could 
only  just  trust  me  and  come  to  me  and  let  me  help  you. 
I  want  you,  my  girl,  I  want  you ! " 

She  leaned  forward.  "Do  you  really  mean  it?"  she 
cried.  "  How  can  you  ?  after  all  I've  done  ?  after  the 
way  I've  treated  you?  and  the  things  I've  said?  You 

313 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

must  hate  me!  Everyone  does.  I  hate  myself!  You 
can't  forgive  me !  You  can't !  " 

His  answer  was  to  hold  out  his  arms.  Another  mo 
ment  and  she  was  in  them,  clinging  to  his  wet  coat,  sob 
bing,  holding  him  fast,  and  begging  him  not  to  leave 
her,  to  take  her  away,  that  she  would  work,  that  she 
would  not  be  a  burden  to  him  —  only  take  her  with  him 
and  try  to  forgive  her,  for  he  was  real  and  honest  and 
the  only  friend  she  had. 

And  Captain  Elisha,  soothing  her,  stroking  her  hair, 
and  murmuring  words  of  love  and  tenderness,  realized 
that  his  labor  and  sacrifice  had  not  been  in  vain,  that 
here  was  his  recompense;  she  would  never  misunder 
stand  him  again ;  she  was  his  at  last. 

And  yet,  in  the  midst  of  his  joy,  his  conscience  trou 
bled  him  more  than  ever. 


CHAPTER  XX 

IT  was  April;  and  May  was  close  at  hand.  The 
weather  was  all  that  late  April  weather  should 
be,  and  so  often  is  not.  Trees,  bushes,  and  vines 
were  in  bud;  the  green  of  the  new  grass  was  showing 
everywhere  above  the  dead  brown  of  the  old;  a  pair  of 
bluebirds  were  inspecting  the  hollow  of  the  old  apple 
tree,  with  an  eye  toward  spring  housekeeping;  the  sun 
was  warm  and  bright,  and  the  water  of  the  Sound 
sparkled  in  the  distance.  Caroline,  sitting  by  the  living- 
room  window,  was  waiting  for  her  uncle  to  return  from 
the  city. 

In  the  kitchen  Annie  Moriarty  was  preparing  dinner. 
Annie  was  now  cook  as  well  as  chamber-maid,  for,  of  all 
the  Warren  servants,  she  was  the  only  one  remaining. 
Edwards,  the  "  Commodore,"  had  been  dismissed,  had  de 
parted,  not  without  reluctance  but  philosophically,  to  seek 
other  employment.  "  Yes,  miss,"  observed  Edwards, 
when  notified  that  his  services  were  no  longer  required ; 
"  I  understand.  I've  been  expecting  it.  I  was  in  a 
family  before  that  met  with  financial  difficulties,  and  I 
know  the  signs.  All  I  can  say  is  that  I  hope  you  and 
Mr.  Stephen  will  get  on  all  right,  miss.  If  there's  any 
thing  I  can  do  to  help  you,  by  way  of  friendship,  please 
let  me  know.  I'd  be  glad,  for  old  times'  sake.  And  the 
cook  wanted  me  to  tell  you  that,  being  as  she's  got  an 
other  job  in  sight  and  was  paid  up  to  date,  she  wouldn't 
wait  for  notice,  but  was  leaving  immediate.  She's  gone 
already,  miss." 

21  315 


The  second  maid  went  also.  But  Annie,  Irish  and 
grateful,  refused  to  go.  Her  mother  came  to  back  her 
in  the  refusal. 

"  Indeed  she'll  not  leave  you,  Miss  Caroline  —  you  nor 
Captain •  Warren  neither.  Lord  love  him!  Sure,  d'ye 
think  we'll  ever  forget  what  you  and  him  done  for  me 
and  my  Pat  and  the  childer  ?  You've  got  to  have  some 
body,  ain't  you?  And  Annie's  cookin'  ain't  so  bad  that 
it'll  kill  yez ;  and  I'll  learn  her  more.  Never  mind  what 
the  wages  is,  they're  big  enough.  She'll  stay!  If  she 
didn't,  I'd  break  her  back." 

So,  when  the  apartment  was  given  up,  and  Captain 
Elisha  and  his  wards  moved  to  the  little  house  in  West- 
chester  County,  Annie  came  with  them.  And  her  cook 
ing,  though  not  by  any  means  equal  to  that  at  Delmoni- 
co's,  had  not  killed  them  yet.  Mrs.  Moriarty  came  once 
a  week  to  do  the  laundry  work.  Caroline  acted  as  a 
sort  of  inexperienced  but  willing  supervising  house 
keeper. 

The  house  itself  had  been  procured  through  the  kind 
interest  of  Sylvester.  Keeping  the  apartment  was,  un 
der  the  circumstances,  out  of  the  question,  and  Caroline 
hated  it  and  was  only  too  anxious  to  give  it  up.  She 
had  no  suggestions  to  make.  She  would  go  anywhere, 
anywhere  that  her  guardian  deemed  best ;  but  might  they 
not  please  go  at  once  ?  She  expected  that  he  would  sug 
gest  South  Denboro,  and  she  would  have  gone  there 
without  a  complaint.  To  get  away  from  the  place  where 
she  had  been  so  miserable  was  her  sole  wish.  And 
trusting  and  believing  in  her  uncle  as  she  now  did,  real 
izing  that  he  had  been  right  always  and  had  worked  for 
her  interest  throughout,  and  having  been  shown  the  false 
ness  and  insincerity  of  the  others  whom  she  had  once 
trusted  implicitly,  she  clung  to  him  with  an  appeal  al- 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

most  piteous.  Her  pride  was,  for  the  time,  broken. 
She  was  humble  and  grateful.  She  surrendered  to  him 
unconditionally,  and  hoped  only  for  his  forgiveness  and 
love. 

The  captain  did  not  suggest  South  Denboro.  He  did, 
however,  tell  Sylvester  that  he  believed  a  little  place  out 
of  the  city  would  be  the  better  refuge  for  the  present. 

"  Poor  Caroline's  switched  clear  around,"  he  said  to 
the  lawyer,  "  and  you  can't  blame  her  much.  She 
cal'lates  New  York's  nothin'  but  a  sham  from  stern  to 
stern,  manned  by  liars  and  swindlers  and  hypocrites  and 
officered  by  thieves.  'Tain't  no  use  to  tell  her  'tain't, 
though  she  might  pretend  to  believe  it,  if  /  told  her,  for 
just  now  the  poor  girl  thinks  I'm  Solomon  and  Saint 
Peter  rolled  into  one.  The  way  she  agrees  to  whatever 
I  say  and  the  way  she  looks  at  me  and  sort  of  holds  on 
to  me,  as  if  I  was  her  only  anchor  in  a  gale,  I  declare 
it  makes  me  feel  meaner  than  poorhouse  tea  —  and 
that's  made  of  blackberry  leaves  steeped  in  memories  of 
better  things,  so  I've  heard  say.  Am  I  a  low  down 
scamp,  play  in'  a  dirty  mean  trick  on  a  couple  of  orphans? 
What  do  you  think,  Sylvester  ?  " 

"  You  know  what  I  think,  Captain  Warren,"  replied 
the  lawyer.  "  You're  handling  the  whole  matter  better 
than  any  other  man  could  handle  it.  No  one  else  would 
have  thought  of  it,  to  begin  with ;  and  the  results  so  far 
prove  that  you're  right." 

"  Yup.  Maybe.  I  wish  you  was  around  to  say  that 
to  me  when  I  wake  up  nights  and  get  to  thinkin'.  How 
ever,  as  I  said,  Caroline  believes  New  York  is  like  a 
sailors'  dance  hall,  a  place  for  decent  folks  to  steer  clear 
of.  And  when  the  feller  you've  been  engaged  to  is 
shown  up  as  a  sneak  and  your  own  dad  as  a  crook  — 
well,  you  can't  blame  a  green  hand  for  holdin'  prejudice 

317 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

against  the  town  that  raised  'em.  She'll  get  over  it ;  but 
just  now  I  cal'late  some  little  flat,  or,  better  still,  a  little 
home  out  where  the  back  yards  ain't  made  of  concrete, 
would  be  a  first-class  port  for  us  to  make  for.  Don't 
know  of  such  a  place  at  a  reasonable  rent,  do  you  ?  " 

"  I  might  find  one.  And  you  may  be  right ;  your  niece 
might  like  it  better,  though  it  will  be  somewhat  of  a 
change.  But  how  about  your  nephew?  He  has  no  ob 
jection  to  the  metropolis,  I  should  judge.  What  will  he 
say?" 

"  Nothin',  I  guess  —  unless  he  says  it  to  himself. 
Steve's  goin'  back  to  New  Haven  with  things  on  his 
mind.  He  and  I  had  a  mornin'  service,  and  I  was  the 
parson.  He  listened,  because  when  you  ain't  got  a  cent 
except  what  the  society  allows  you,  it  ain't  good  ortho 
doxy  to  dodge  the  charity  sermon.  Steve'll  behave,  and 
what  he  don't  like  he'll  lump.  If  he  starts  to  open  his 
mouth  his  ear'll  ache,  I  cal'late.  I  talked  turkey  to  that 
young  man.  Ye-es,"  with  a  slight  smile,  "  I'm  sort  of 
afraid  I  lost  patience  with  Stevie." 

When  Caroline  first  saw  the  little  house,  with  its 
shingled  sides,  the  dead  vines  over  the  porch,  and  the 
dry  stalks  of  last  year's  flowers  in  the  yard,  her  heart 
sank.  With  the  wind  blowing  and  the  bare  branches  of 
the  old  apple  tree  scraping  the  roof  and  whining  dole 
fully,  it  looked  bleak  and  forsaken.  It  was  so  different, 
so  unhomelike,  and  so,  to  her  eyes,  small  and  poverty- 
stricken.  She  made  believe  that  she  liked  it,  exclaimed 
over  the  view  —  which,  on  the  particular  day,  was  deso 
late  enough  —  and  declared  the  Dutch  front  door  was 
"  old-fashioned  and  dear."  But  Captain  Elisha,  watch 
ing  her  closely,  knew  that  she  was  only  waiting  to  be 
alone  to  give  way  to  wretchedness  and  tears.  He  un 
derstood,  had  expected  that  she  would  feel  thus,  but  he 

3i8 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

was  disappointed,  nevertheless.  However,  after  the 
front  door  was  passed  and  they  were  inside  the  house, 
Caroline  looked  about  her  in  delighted  amazement  The 
living  room  was  small,  but  bright  and  warm  and  cheery. 
On  its  walls,  hiding  the  rather  vivid  paper,  were  hung 
some  of  the  best  of  Rodgers  Warren's  pictures  —  the 
Corot,  the  codfisher,  and  others.  The  furniture  and  rugs 
were  those  which  had  been  in  the  library  of  the  apart 
ment,  those  she  had  been  familiar  with  all  her  life.  The 
books,  many  of  them,  were  there,  also.  And  the  dining 
room,  except  for  size,  looked  like  home.  So  did  the 
bedrooms;  and,  in  the  kitchen,  Annie  grinned  a  wel 
come. 

"  But  how  could  you  ?  "  asked  Caroline.  "  How  could 
you  keep  all  these  things,  Uncle  Elisha?  I  thought,  of 
course,  they  must  all  be  sold.  I  cried  when  they  took 
them  away  that  day  when  we  were  leaving  to  go  to  the 
hotel.  I  was  sure  I  should  never  see  them  again.  And 
here  they  all  are !  How  could  you  do  it  ?  " 

The  captain's  grin  was  as  wide  as  Annie's.  "  Oh,"  he 
explained,  "  I  couldn't  let  'em  all  go.  Never  intended  to. 
That  five  thousand  dollar  codder  up  there  seemed  like 
own  folks,  pretty  nigh.  I'd  have  kept  him,  if  we  had  to 
live  in  one  room  and  a  trunk.  And  we  ain't  got  to  that 
—  yet.  I  tell  you,  dearie,  I  thought  they'd  make  you 
feel  more  to  home.  And  they  do,  don't  they  ?  " 

The  look  she  gave  him  was  answer  sufficient. 

"  But  the  creditors  ?  "  she  asked.  "  That  man  who  — 
they  belong  to  him,  don't  they?  I  supposed  of  course 
they  must  go  with  the  rest." 

Captain  Elisha  winked.  "There's  times,"  he  an 
swered,  "  when  I  believe  in  cheatin'  my  creditors.  This 
is  one  of  'em.  Never  you  mind  that  feller  you  men 
tioned.  He's  got  enough,  confound  him!  He  didn't 

319 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

have  the  face  to  ask  for  any  more.  Sylvester  looked  out 
for  that.  Five  hundred  thousand,  droppin'  in,  as  you 
might  say,  unexpected,  ought  to  soften  anybody's  heart ; 
and  I  judge  even  that  feller's  got  some  bowels  of 

mercy." 

He  changed  the  subject  hastily,  but  Caroline  asked  no 
more  questions.  She  never  alluded  to  the  lost  estate, 
never  expressed  any  regrets,  nor  asked  to  know  who  it 
was  that  had  seized  her  all.  The  captain  had  expected 
her  to  ask,  had  been  ready  with  the  same  answer  he 
had  given  Stephen,  but  when  he  hinted  she  herself  had 
forbade  his  continuing.  "  Don't  tell  me  about  it,"  she 
begged.  "  I  don't  want  to  know  any  more.  Father  did 
wrong,  but  —  but  I  know  he  did  not  mean  to.  He  was 
a  good,  kind  father  to  me,  and  I  loved  him.  This  man 
whose  money  he  took  had  a  right  to  it,  and  now  it  is  his. 
He  doesn't  wish  us  to  know  who  he  is,  so  Steve  says,  and 
I'm  glad.  I  don't  want  to  know,  because  if  I  did  I  might 
hate  him.  And,"  with  a  shudder,  "  I  am  trying  so  hard 
not  to  hate  anybody." 

Her  make-believe  liking  for  the  little  home  became 
more  and  more  real  as  spring  drew  near.  She  began  to 
take  an  interest  in  it,  in  the  flower  garden,  in  the  beds 
beside  the  porch,  where  the  peonies  and  daffodils  were 
beginning  to  show  green  heads  above  the  loam,  and  in 
the  household  affairs.  And  she  had  plans  of  her  own, 
not  connected  with  these.  She  broached  them  to  her 
uncle,  and  they  surprised  and  delighted  him,  although  he 
would  not  give  his  consent  to  them  entirely. 

"  You  mustn't  think,"  she  said,  "  that,  because  I  have 
been  willing  to  live  on  your  money  since  mine  went,  that 
I  mean  to  continue  doing  it.  I  don't.  I've  been  think 
ing  a  great  deal,  and  I  realize  that  I  must  earn  my  own 
way  just  as  soon  as  I  can.  I'm  not  fitted  for  anything 

320 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

now;  but  I  can  be  and  I  shall.  I've  thought  perhaps  I 
might  learn  stenography  or  —  or  something  like  that 
Girls  do." 

He  looked  at  her  serious  face  and  choked  back  his 
laugh. 

"Why,  yes,"  he  admitted,  "they  do,  that's  a  fact. 
About  four  hundred  thousand  of  'em  do,  and  four  hun 
dred  thousand  more  try  to  and  then  try  to  make  business 
men  think  that  they  have.  I  heard  Sylvester  sputterin' 
about  a  couple  in  his  office  t'other  day ;  said  they  was  no 
good  and  not  worth  the  seven  dollars  a  week  he  paid 
'em." 

"  Seven  dollars  a  week ! "  she  repeated. 

"  Yes.  Course  some  make  three  times  that  and  more ; 
but  they're  the  experienced  ones,  the  good  ones.  And 
there's  heaps  that  don't.  What  makes  you  so  sot  on 
earnin'  a  livin',  Caroline?  Ain't  you  satisfied  with  the 
kind  I'm  tryin'  to  give  you  ?  " 

She  regarded  him  reproachfully.  "  Please  don't  say 
that,"  she  protested.  "  You  always  treat  your  kindness 
as  a  joke,  but  to  me  it  —  it  — " 

"There!  there!"  quickly.  "Don't  let's  talk  foolish. 
I  see  what  you  mean,  dearie.  It  ain't  the  livin'  but  be 
cause  I'm  givin*  it  to  you  that  troubles  you.  I  know. 
Well,  /  ain't  complainin' ;  but  I  understand  your  feelin's 
and  respect  'em.  However,  I  shouldn't  study  type- 
\\-ritin',  if  I  was  you.  There's  too  much  competition  in 
it  to  be  comfortable,  as  the  fat  man  said  about  runnin' 
races.  I've  got  a  suggestion,  if  you  want  to  listen  to  it." 

"I  do,  indeed.     What  is  it?" 

"  Why,  just  this.  I've  been  about  everythin'  aboard 
ship,  but  I've  never  been  a  steward.  Now  I'll  say  this 
much  for  Annie,  she  tried  hard.  She  tumbled  into  gen 
eral  housekeepin'  the  way  Asa  Foster  said  he  fell  into 

321 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

the  cucumber  frame  —  with  r.  jolt  and  a  jingle;  and 
she's  doin'  her  best  accordin'  to  her  lights.  But  some 
times  her  lights  need  ile  or  trimmin'  or  somethin'.  I've 
had  the  feelin'  that  we  need  a  good  housekeeper  here. 
If  Annie's  intelligence  was  as  broad  and  liberal  as  her 
shoes,  we  wouldn't ;  as  'tis,  we  do.  Ill  hire  you,  Caro 
line,  for  that  job,  if  you  say  so." 

"I?    Uncle  Elisha,  you're  joking!  " 

"  No,  I  ain't.  Course  I  realize  you  ain't  had  much 
experience  in  runnin'  a  house,  and  I  hope  you  understand 
I  don't  want  to  hire  you  as  a  cook.  But  I've  had  a 
scheme  in  the  back  of  my  head  for  a  fortni't  or  more. 
Somethin'  Sylvester  said  about  a  young  lady  cousin  of 
his  made  me  think  of  it.  Seems  over  here  at  the  female 
college  —  you  know  where  I  mean  —  they're  teachin'.  a 
new  course  that  they've  christened  Domestic  Science. 
Nigh's  I  can  find  out  it  is  about  what  our  great  gran'- 
marms  larned  at  home ;  that,  with  up-to-date  trimmin's. 
All  about  runnin'  a  house,  it  is;  how  to  superintend 
servants,  and  what  kind  of  things  to  have  to  eat,  and 
how  they  ought  to  be  cooked,  and  takin'  care  of  children 
—  Humph!  we  don't  need  that,  do  we?  —  and,  well, 
everything  that  a  home  woman,  rich  or  poor,  ought  to 
know.  At  least,  she  ought  to  'cordin'  to  my  old-fash 
ioned  notions.  Sylvester's  cousin  goes  there,  and  likes 
it;  and  I  judge  she  ain't  figgerin'  to  be  anybody's  hired 
help,  either.  My  idea  was  about  this :  If  you'd  like  to 
take  this  course,  Caroline,  you  could  do  it  afternoons. 
Mornin's  and  the  days  you  had  off,  you  could  apply  your 
science  here  at  home,  on  Annie.  Truly  it  would  save  me 
hirin'  somebody  else,  and  —  well,  maybe  you'd  enjoy  it, 
you  can't  tell." 

His  niece  seemed  interested. 

"  I  know  of  the  Domestic  Science  course,"  she  said. 
322 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Several  of  my  friends  —  my  former  friends,  were 
studying  it.  But  I'm  afraid,  Uncle,  that  I  don't  see 
where  earning  my  living  has  any  part  in  it.  It  seems  to 
me  that  it  means  your  spending  more  money  for  me,  pay 
ing  my  tuition." 

"  No  more'n  I'd  spend  for  a  competent  housekeeper. 
Honest,  Caroline,  I'd  like  to  do  it.  You  think  it  over  a 
spell." 

She  did,  visiting  the  University  and  making  inquiries. 
What  she  was  told  there  decided  her.  She  took  up  the 
course  and  enjoyed  it.  It  occupied  her  mind  and  pre 
vented  her  brooding  over  the  past.  She  might  have 
made  many  friends  among  the  other  students,  but  she 
was  careful  to  treat  them  only  as  acquaintances.  Her 
recent  experience  with  "  friends  "  was  too  fresh  in  her 
mind.  She  studied  hard  and  applied  her  knowledge  at 
home.  She  and  Annie  made  some  odd  and  funny  mis 
takes  at  first,  but  they  were  not  made  twice,  and  Cap 
tain  Elisha  noticed  a  great  improvement  in  the  house 
keeping.  Also,  Caroline's  spirits  improved,  though  more 
slowly. 

Most  evenings  they  spent  together  in  the  living  room. 
She  read  aloud  to  her  uncle,  who  smoked  his  cigar  and 
listened,  commenting  on  the  doings  of  the  story  folk  with 
characteristic  originality  and  aptitude.  Each  night,  after 
the  reading  was  over,  he  wrote  his  customary  note  to 
Abbie  Baker  at  South  Denboro.  He  made  one  flying 
trip  to  that  village :  "  Just  to  prove  to  'em  that  I'm  still 
alive,"  as  he  explained  it.  "  Some  of  those  folks  down 
there  at  the  postoffice  must  have  pretty  nigh  forgot 
to  gossip  about  me  by  this  time.  They've  had  me  eloped 
and  married  and  a  millionaire  and  a  pauper  long  ago,  I 
don't  doubt.  And  now  they've  probably  forgot  me  alto 
gether.  I'll  just  run  down  and  stir  'em  up.  Good  sub- 

323 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

jects  for  yarns  are  source  at  that  postoffice,  and  they 
ought  to  be  thankful." 

On  his  return  he  told  his  niece  that  he  found  every 
thing  much  as  usual.  "  Thoph  Kenney's  raised  a  beard 
'cause  shavin's  so  expensive;  and  the  Come-Outer  min 
ister  called  the  place  the  other  denominations  are  bound 
for  '  Hades/  and  his  congregation  are  thinkin'  of  firm' 
him  for  turnin'  Free-Thinker.  That's  about  all  the  sen 
sations,"  he  said.  "  I  couldn't  get  around  town  much  on 
account  of  Abbie.  She  kept  me  in  bed  most  of  the  time, 
while  she  sewed  on  buttons  and  mended.  Said  she  never 
saw  a  body's  clothes  in  such  a  state  in  her  life." 

A  few  of  the  neighbors  called  occasionally.  And  there 
were  other  callers.  Captain  Elisha's  unexpected  de 
parture  from  Mrs.  Hepton's  boarding  house  had  caused 
a  sensation  and  much  regret  to  that  select  establishment. 
The  landlady,  aided  and  abetted  by  Mrs.  Van  Winkle 
Ruggles,  would  have  given  a  farewell  tea  in  his  honor, 
but  he  declined.  "  Don't  you  do  it,"  he  said.  "  I  like  my 
tea  pretty  strong,  and  farewells  are  watery  sort  of  things, 
the  best  of  'em.  And  this  ain't  a  real  farewell,  anyhow." 

" '  Say  au  revoir,  but  not  good-by,' "  sang  Miss  Sher- 
borne  sentimentally. 

"  That's  it.  Everybody  knows  what  good-by  means. 
We'll  say  the  other  thing  —  as  well  as  we  can  —  and 
change  it  to  '  Hello '  the  very  first  time  any  of  you  come 
out  to  see  us." 

They  were  curious  to  know  his  reason  for  leaving.  He 
explained  that  his  niece  was  sort  of  lonesome  and  needed 
country  air ;  he  was  going  to  live  with  her,  for  the  pres 
ent.  Consequently  Mrs.  Ruggles,  on  the  trail  of  aris 
tocracy,  was  the  first  to  call.  Hers  was  a  stately  and 
ceremonious  visit.  They  were  glad  when  it  was  over. 
Lawton,  the  bookseller  and  his  wife,  came  and  were  per- 

324 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

suaded  to  remain  and  dine.  Caroline  liked  them  at  sight. 
The  most  impressive  call,  however,  was  that  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  "  C."  Dickens.  The  great  man  made  it  a  point 
to  dress  in  the  style  of  bygone  years,  and  his  conversa 
tion  was  a  treat.  His  literary  labors  were  fatiguing  and 
confining,  he  admitted,  and  the  "  little  breath  of  rural 
ozone  "  which  this  trip  to  Westchester  County  gave  him, 
was  like  a  tonic  —  yes,  as  one  might  say,  a  tonic  pre 
scribed  and  administered  by  Dame  Nature  herself. 

"  I  formerly  resided  in  the  country,"  he  told  Caroline. 

"  Yes,"  put  in  his  wife,  "  we  used  to  live  at  Bayonne, 
New  Jersey.  We  had  such  a  pretty  house  there,  that  is, 
half  a  house.;  you  see  it  was  a  double  one,  and — " 

"  Maria,"  her  husband  waved  his  hand,  "  why  trouble 
our  friends  with  unnecessary  details." 

"  But  it  was  a  pretty  house, '  C.,'  dear,"  with  a  pathetic 
little  sigh.  "  I've  missed  it  a  great  deal  since,  Miss  War 
ren.  '  C.'  had  a  joke  about  it  —  he's  such  a  joker !  He 
used  to  call  it  '  Gad's  Hill,  Junior/  " 

"  Named  after  some  of  David  B.'s  folks  ?  "  asked  Cap 
tain  Elisha  innocently.  The  answer,  delivered  by  Mr. 
Dickens,  was  condescending  and  explanatory. 

Caroline  laughed,  actually  laughed  aloud,  when  the 
visit  was  over.  Her  uncle  was  immensely  pleased. 

"  Hooray ! "  he  cried.  "  I'll  invite  'em  up  to  stay  a 
week.  That's  the  fust  time  I've  heard  you  laugh  for  I 
don't  know  when." 

She  laughed  again.  "  I  can't  help  it,"  she  said ; 
"  they  are  so  funny." 

The  captain  chuckled.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  "  and  they 
don't  know  it.  I  cal'late  a  person's  skull  has  got  room 
for  just  about  so  much  in  it  and  no  more.  Cornelius 
Charles's  head  is  so  jammed  with  self-satisfaction  that 
his  sense  of  humor  was  crowded  out  of  door  long  ago." 

325 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

One  boarder  at  Mrs.  Hepton's  did  not  call,  nor  did 
Captain  Elisha  allude  to  him.  Caroline  noticed  the  lat 
ter  fact  and  understood  the  reason.  Also,  when  the  cap 
tain  went  to  the  city,  as  he  frequently  did,  and  remained 
longer  than  usual,  she  noticed  that  his  explanations  of 
the  way  in  which  he  spent  his  time  were  sometimes  vague 
and  hurried.  She  understood  and  was  troubled.  Yet 
she  thought  a  great  deal  on  the  subject  before  she  men 
tioned  it. 

On  the  April  afternoon  when  Caroline  sat  at  the  win 
dow  of  the  living  room  awaiting  her  uncle's  return  she 
was  thinking  of  that  subject.  But,  at  last,  her  mind  was 
made  up.  It  was  a  hard  thing  to  do ;  it  was  humiliating, 
in  a  way;  it  might  —  though  she  sincerely  hoped  not  — 
be  misconstrued  as  to  motive;  but  it  was  right.  Cap 
tain  Elisha  had  been  so  unselfish,  so  glad  to  give  up  every 
personal  inclination  in  order  to  please  her,  that  she  would 
no  longer  permit  her  pride  to  stand  in  the  way  of  his 
gratification,  even  in  little  things.  At  least,  she  would 
speak  to  him  on  the  matter. 

He  came  on  a  later  than  his  usual  train,  and  at  dinner, 
when  she  asked  where  he  had  been,  replied,  "  Oh,  to  see 
Sylvester,  and  —  er  —  around."  She  asked  him  no  more, 
but,  when  they  were  together  in  the  living  room,  she 
moved  her  chair  over  beside  his  and  said  without  looking 
at  him : 

"  Uncle  Elisha,  I  know  where  you've  been  this  after 
noon.  You've  been  to  see  Mr.  Pearson." 

"  Hey  ?  "  He  started,  leaned  back  and  regarded  her 
with  astonishment  and  some  alarm. 

"  You've  been  to  see  Mr.  Pearson,"  she  repeated, 
"  haven't  you  ?  " 

"  Why  —  why,  yes,  Caroline,  I  have  —  to  tell  you  the 
truth.  I  don't  see  how  you  knew,  but,"  nervously,  "  I 

326 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

hope  you  don't  feel  bad  'cause  I  did.  I  go  to  see  him 
pretty  often.  You  see,  I  think  a  good  deal  of  him  — 
a  whole  lot  of  him.  /  think  he's  a  fine  young  feller. 
Course  I  know  you  don't,  and  so  I  never  mention  him  to 
you.  But  I  do  hope  you  ain't  goin'  to  ask  me  not  to  see 
him." 

She  shook  her  head.  "  No,"  she  said.  "  I  would 
have  no  right  to  ask  that,  even  if  I  wished  to.  And  I  do 
not  wish  it.  Uncle  Elisha,  if  you  were  alone  here,  he 
would  come  to  see  you;  I  know  he  would.  Invite  him 
to  come,  please." 

His  astonishment  was  greater  than  ever. 

"  Invite  him  to  come  here? "  he  asked.  "  To  see 
you?" 

"  No,"  hastily ;  "  to  see  you.  This  is  your  home.  I 
have  no  right  to  keep  your  friends  from  visiting  it.  I 
know  you  would  sacrifice  everything  for  me,  even  them ; 
but  I  will  not  be  so  selfish  as  to  allow  it.  Ask  him  here,, 
please.  I  really  want  you  to." 

He  pulled  his  beard.  "  Caroline,"  he  answered  slowly, 
"  I'm  much  obliged  to  you.  I  understand  why  you're 
doin'  this,  and  I  thank  you.  But  it  ain't  likely  that  I'll 
say  yes,  is  it?  And  do  you  suppose  Jim  would  come 
if  I  did  ask  him?  He  knows  you  believe  he's  a  —  well, 
all  that's  bad.  You  told  him  so,  and  you  sent  him  away. 
I  will  give  in  that  I'd  like  to  have  him  here.  He's  one 
of  the  few  men  friends  I've  made  since  I  landed  in  New 
York.  But,  under  the  circumstances  —  you  feelin'  as 
you  do  —  I  couldn't  ask  him,  and  he  wouldn't  come  if 
I  did." 

She  remained  silent  for  a  time.  Then  she  said: 
"  Uncle,  I  want  you  to  tell  me  the  truth  about  Mr.  Pear 
son  and  father  —  just  why  they  quarreled  and  the  real 
truth  of  the  whole  affair.  Don't  spare  my  feelings ;  tell 

327 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

me  what  you  believe  is  the  true  story.  I  know  you  think 
Mr.  Pearson  was  right,  for  you  said  so." 

The  captain  was  much  troubled. 

"I  —  I  don't  know's  I'd  better,  dearie,"  he  answered. 
"  I  think  I  do  know  the  truth,  but  you  might  think  I  was 
hard  on  'Bije  —  on  your  father.  I  ain't.  And  I  sym 
pathize  with  the  way  he  felt,  too.  But  Jim  did  right,  as 
I  see  it.  He  acted  just  as  I'd  want  a  son  of  mine  to 
do.  And  ...  Well,  I  cal'iate  we'd  better  not  rake 
up  old  times,  had  we  ?  " 

"  I  want  you  to  tell  me.     Please  do." 

"  I  don't  know's  I'd  better.  You  have  been  told  the 
story  different,  and — " 

"  I  know  I  have.  That  is  the  reason  why  I  ask  you  to 
tell  it.  Oh,"  with  a  flash  of  scorn,  "  I  was  told  many 
stories,  and  I  want  to  forget  them.  And,"  sadly,  "  I  can 
bear  whatever  you  may  tell  me,  even  about  father. 
Since  I  learned  that  he  was  a  —  a  — " 

"S-sh,  Caroline;  don't!" 

"  After  that,  I  can  bear  anything,  I  think.  This  can 
not  be  worse." 

"  Worse !  No,  no !  This  ain't  very  bad.  I  will  tell 
you,  dearie.  This  is  just  what  happened." 

He  told  her  the  exact  truth  concerning  the  Trolley 
Combine,  his  brother's  part  in  it,  and  Pearson's.  She 
listened  without  comment. 

"  I  see,"  she  said  when  he  had  finished.  "  I  think  I 
see.  Mr.  Pearson  felt  that,  as  a  newspaper  man,  an 
honest  one,  he  must  go  on.  He  knew  that  the  thing 
was  wrong  and  that  innocent  people  might  lose  money 
in  it.  It  was  his  duty  to  expose  it,  and  he  did  it,  even 
though  it  meant  the  loss  of  influence  and  of  father's 
friendship.  I  see." 

"  That  was  about  it,  Caroline.  I  think  the  hardest 
328 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

part    for  him   was   when   'Bije   called   him    ungrateful. 
'Bije  had  been  mighty  kind  to  him,  that's  a  fact." 

"  Yes.  Father  was  kind ;  I  know  that  better  than  any 
one  else.  But  Mr.  Pearson  was  right.  Yes,  he  was 
right,  and  brave." 

"  So  I  size  it  up.  And  I  do  sympathize  with  your 
father,  too.  This  wa'n't  such  an  awful  lot  worse  than 
a  good  many  stock  deals.  And  poor  'Bije  was  perfectly 
desp'rate,  I  guess.  If  it  had  gone  through  he'd  have 
been  able  to  square  accounts  with  the  Rubber  Company ; 
and  just  think  what  that  would  have  meant  to  him. 
Poor  feller !  poor  feller !  "  He  sighed.  She  reached  for 
his  hand  and  stroked  it  gently  with  her  own. 

After  another  interval  she  said :  "  How  I  insulted  and 
wronged  him !  How  he  must  despise  me !  " 

"Who?  Jim?  No,  no!  he  don't  do  any  such  thing. 
He  knows  you  didn't  understand,  and  who  was  respon 
sible.  Jim's  got  sense,  lots  of  it." 

"  But  it  is  my  misunderstanding  and  my  insulting 
treatment  of  him  which  have  kept  you  two  apart  —  here, 
at  any  rate." 

"  Don't  let  that  worry  you,  Caroline.  I  see  him  every 
once  in  a  while,  up  to  the  city." 

"  It  does  worry  me ;  and  it  will,  until  it  is  made  right. 
And,"  in  a  lower  tone,  but  with  decision,  "  it  shall  be." 

She  rose  and,  bending  over,  kissed  him  on  the  fore 
head.  "  Good  night,  Uncle,"  she  said. 

Captain  Elisha  was  disappointed.  "  What ! "  he  ex 
claimed.  "  Coin'  aloft  so  soon  ?  We  ain't  had  our 
readin'  yet.  Pretty  early  to  turn  in,  seems  to  me. 
Stay  a  little  longer,  do." 

"  Not  to-night,  dear.  I'm  going  to  my  room.  Please 
excuse  me  this  time."  She  turned  to  go  and  then,  turn 
ing  back  again,  asked  a  final  question. 

329 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  You're  sure,"  she  said,  hesitatingly ;  "  you're  quite 
sure  he  will  not  come  here  — to  you  —  if  you  tell  him 
I  understand,  and  —  and  you  ask  him  ?  " 

"  Well,  Caroline,  I  don't  know.  You  see,  I  was  re 
sponsible  for  his  comin'  before.  He  had  some  scruples 
against  it  then,  but  I  talked  him  down.  He's  sort  of 
proud,  Jim  is,  and  he  might  —  might  not  want  to  — 
to—" 

"  I  see.     Good  night,  Uncle." 

The  next  morning,  after  breakfast,  she  came  to  him 
again, 

"  Uncle  Elisha,"  she  said,  "  I  have  written  him." 

"What?     You've  written?     Written  who?" 

"  Mr.  Pearson.  I  wrote  him,  telling  him  I  had  learned 
the  true  story  of  his  disagreement  with  father  and  that 
he  was  right  and  I  was  wrong.  I  apologized  for  my 
behavior  toward  him.  Now,  I  think,  perhaps,  if  you 
ask  him,  he  will  come." 

The  captain  looked  at  her.  He  realized  the  sacrifice 
of  her  pride  which  writing  that  letter  must  have  meant, 
and  that  she  had  done  it  for  him.  He  was  touched  and 
almost  sorry  she  had  done  it.  He  took  both  her  hands 
in  his. 

"  Dearie,"  he  said,  "  you  shouldn't  have  done  that.  I 
didn't  expect  you  to.  I  know  you  did  it  just  for  my 
sake.  I  won't  say  I  ain't  glad;  I  am,  in  one  way.  But 
'twa'n't  necessary,  and  'twas  too  much,  too  hard  for  you 
altogether." 

"  Don't  say  that,"  she  begged.  "  Too  much !  I  never 
can  do  enough.  Compared  to  what  you  have  done  for 
me  it  —  it  .  .  .  Oh,  please  let  me  do  what  little  I 
can.  But,  Uncle  Elisha,  promise  me  one  thing ;  promise 
that  you  will  not  ask  me  to  meet  him,  if  he  should  come. 
That  I  couldn't  do,  even  for  you." 

330 


CHAPTER  XXI 

PROMISES  of  that  kind  are  easier  to  make  than 
to  keep.  The  captain  promised  promptly  enough, 
but  the  Fates  were  against  him.  He  made  it  his 
business  to  go  to  town  the  very  next  day  and  called  upon 
his  friend.  He  found  the  young  man  in  a  curiously  ex 
cited  and  optimistic  frame  of  mind,  radically  different 
from  that  of  the  past  few  months.  The  manuscript  of 
the  novel  was  before  him  on  the  desk,  also  plenty  of 
blank  paper.  His  fountain-pen  was  in  his  hand,  al 
though  apparently,  he  had  written  nothing  that  morning. 
But  he  was  going  to  —  oh,  yes,  he  was  going  to!  He 
was  feeling  just  in  the  mood.  He  had  read  his  manu 
script,  and  it  was  not  so  bad;  by  George,  some  of  the 
stuff  was  pretty  good !  And  the  end  was  not  so  far  off. 
Five  or  six  chapters  more  and  the  thing  would  be  finished. 
He  would  have  to  secure  a  publisher,  of  course,  but  two 
had  already  expressed  an  interest ;  and  so  on. 

Captain  Elisha  drew  his  own  conclusions.  He  judged 
that  his  niece's  letter  had  reached  its  destination.  He 
did  not  mention  it,  however,  nor  did  Pearson.  But  when 
the  captain  hinted  at  the  latter's  running  out  to  the  house 
to  see  him  some  time  or  other,  the  invitation  was  ac 
cepted. 

"  That's  fine,  Jim,"  declared  the  visitor.  "  Come  any 
time.  I  want  you  to  see  what  a  nice  little  place  I've  got 
out  there.  Don't  stand  on  ceremony,  come  —  er  —  next 
week,  say."  Then,  mindful  of  his  promise,  he  added, 
"  You  and  I'll  have  it  all  to  ourselves.  I've  been  cal'- 
22  331 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

latin'  to  hire  a  sail-boat  for  the  summer ;  got  my  eye  on 
a  capable  little  sloop  belongin'  to  a  feller  on  the  Sound 
shore.  If  all  goes  well  I'll  close  the  deal  in  a  few  days, 
I'll  meet  you  at  the  depot  and  we'll  have  a  sail  and  get 
dinner  at  a  hotel  or  somewheres,  and  then  we'll  come 
up  to  the  house  and  take  a  whack  at  Cap'n  Jim's  doin's 
in  the  new  chapters.  Just  you  and  I  together  in  the  set- 
tin'  room ;  hey  ?  " 

Pearson  did  not  seem  so  enthusiastic  over  this  pro 
gramme,  although  he  admitted  that  it  sounded  tip-top. 

"  How  is  Miss  Warren  ?  "  he  asked,  mentioning  the 
name  with  a  nonchalance  remarkable,  considering  that 
he  had  not  done  so  before  for  weeks.  "  She  is  well,  I 
hope?" 

"Yes,  she's  fust-rate,  thank  you.  Very  well,  every 
thing  considered.  She  keeps  to  herself  a  good  deal. 
Don't  care  to  meet  many  folks,  and  you  can't  hardly 
blame  her." 

Pearson  admitted  that,  and  the  remainder  of  the  call 
was  largely  a  monologue  by  Captain  Elisha. 

"  Well,  then,  Jim,"  said  the  latter,  when  he  rose  to  go, 
"  you  come  up  Monday  or  Tuesday  of  next  week.  WiH 
you?" 

"Yes.     I  — I  think  so." 

"  Don't  think,  do  it.  Let  me  know  what  train  you're 
comin'  on,  and  I'll  meet  you  at  the  depot." 

This  last  remark  was  what  upset  calculations.  Pear 
son  came  on  Monday,  having  written  the  day  before.  He 
did  not  mail  the  note  himself,  but  trusted  it  to  Mrs. 
Hepton,  who  was  going  out  to  attend  evening  service. 
She  forgot  it  until  the  next  day.  So  it  happened  that 
when  he  alighted  from  the  train  at  the  suburban  station 
the  captain  was  not  there  to  meet  him.  He  waited  a 
while,  and  then,  inquiring  the  way  of  the  station  agent, 

332 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

walked  up  to  the  house  by  himself.  As  he  turned  in  at 
the  front  walk,  Caroline  came  out  of  the  door.  They 
met,  face  to  face. 

It  was  a  most  embarrassing  situation,  particularly  for 
Caroline ;  yet,  with  feminine  resourcefulness,  she  dis 
sembled  her  embarrassment  to  some  extent  and  ac 
knowledged  his  stammered,  "  Good  afternoon,  Miss  War 
ren,"  with  a  cool,  almost  cold,  "  How  do  you  do,  Mr. 
Pearson?"  which  chilled  his  pleasure  at  seeing  her  and 
made  him  wish  devoutly  that  he  had  not  been  such  a 
fool  as  to  come.  However,  there  he  was,  and  he  hastily 
explained  his  presence  by  telling  her  of  the  captain's  in 
vitation  for  that  day,  how  he  had  expected  to  meet  him 
at  the  station,  and,  not  meeting  him,  ha  1  walked  up  to 
the  house. 

"  Is  he  in?  "  he  asked. 

No,  Captain  Elisha  was  not  in.  He  had  gone  to  see 
the  sail-boat  man.  Not  hearing  from  his  friend,  he  con 
cluded  the  latter  would  not  come  until  the  next  day. 
"  He  will  be  so  sorry,"  said  Caroline. 

Pearson  was  rather  thankful  than  otherwise.  The  cap 
tain's  absence  afforded  him  an  opportunity  to  escape 
from  a  place  where  he  was  plainly  unwelcome. 

"  Oh,  never  mind,"  he  said.  "  It  is  not  important.  I 
can  run  out  another  day.  Just  tell  him  I  called,  Miss 
Warren,  please;  that  I  wrote  yesterday,  but  my  letter 
must  have  gone  astray.  Good  afternoon." 

He  was  turning  to  go,  but  she  stopped  him.  She  had 
fully  made  up  her  mind  that,  when  he  came,  she  would 
not  meet  him  —  remembering  how  she  had  treated  him 
on  the  evening  of  her  birthday,  she  would  be  ashamed 
to  look  him  in  the  face.  Besides,  she  could  not  meet 
him  after  writing  that  letter ;  it  would  be  too  brazen ;  he 
would  think  —  all  sorts  of  things.  When  he  visited  her 

333 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

uncle  she  would  remain  in  her  room,  or  go  to  the  city  or 
somewhere. 

But  now  she  had  met  him.  And  he  had  come  in  re 
sponse  to  her  uncle's  invitation,  given  because  she  her 
self  had  pleaded  that  it  should  be.  To  let  him  go  away 
would  be  rude  and  ridiculous ;  and  how  could  she  explain 
to  the  captain? 

"  You  mustn't  go,  Mr.  Pearson,"  she  said.  "  You 
must  come  in  and  wait;  Captain  Warren  will  be  back 
soon,  I'm  sure." 

"  Thank  you ;  but  I  think  I  won't  wait.  I  can  come 
another  time." 

"  But  you  must  wait.  I  insist.  Uncle  Elisha  will  be 
dreadfully  disappointed  if  you  don't.  There  isn't  a  train 
for  an  hour,  and  he  will  return  before  that,  I  am  sure. 
Please  come  in." 

Pearson  was  reluctant,  but  he  could  think  of  no  rea 
sonable  excuse.  So  he  entered  the  house,  removed  his 
overcoat  and  hat,  and  seated  himself  in  the  living  room 
to  await  the  captain's  return.  Caroline  excused  herself, 
saying  that  she  had  an  errand  at  the  shop  in  the  village. 
She  made  that  errand  as  long  as  she  could,  but  when  she 
returned  he  was  still  there,  and  Captain  Elisha  had  not 
appeared. 

The  conversation  was  forced,  for  a  time.  Each  felt 
the  embarrassment,  and  Pearson  was  still  resentful  of 
the  manner  in  which  she  had  greeted  him  on  his  arrival. 
But,  as  he  looked  at  her,  the  resentment  vanished,  and 
the  other  feeling,  that  which  he  had  determined  to  for 
get,  returned.  Captain  Elisha  had  told  him  how  brave 
she  had  been  through  it  all,  and,  contrasting  the  little 
house  with  the  former  home,  remembering  the  loss  of 
friends  and  fortune,  to  say  nothing  of  the  unmasking  of 
those  whom  she  believed  were  her  nearest  and  dearest,  he 

334 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

wondered  and  admired  more  than  ever.  He  understood 
how  very  hard  it  must  have  been  for  her  to  write  that 
letter  to  him,  a  letter  in  which  she  justified  his  course  at 
the  cost  of  her  own  father's  honor.  He  longed  to  tell 
her  that  he  understood  and  appreciated. 

At  last  he  could  not  resist  the  temptation. 

"  Miss  Warren,"  he  said,  "  please  excuse  my  speak 
ing  of  this,  but  I  must;  I  must  thank  you  for  writing  me 
as  you  did.  It  was  not  necessary,  it  was  too  much  to 
expect,  too  hard  a  thing  for  you  to  do.  It  makes  me  feel 
guilty.  I  — " 

"  Please  don't !  "  she  interrupted.  "  Don't  speak  in 
that  way.  It  was  right.  It  was  what  I  should  have  done 
long  ago." 

"  But  it  was  not  necessary ;  I  understood.  I  knew  you 
had  heard  another  version  of  the  story  and  that  you  felt 
I  had  been  ungrateful  and  mean,  to  say  the  least,  in  my 
conduct  toward  your  father.  I  knew  that ;  I  have  never 
blamed  you.  And  you  writing  as  you  did  — " 

"  I  did  it  for  my  uncle's  sake,"  she  broke  in,  quickly. 
"  You  are  his  closest  friend." 

"  I  know,  but  I  appreciate  it,  nevertheless.  I  —  I 
wish  you  would  consider  me  your  friend  as  well  as  his. 
I  do,  sincerely." 

"  Thank  you.  I  need  friends,  I  know.  I  have  few 
now,  which  is  not  strange,"  rather  bitterly. 

He  protested  earnestly.  "  I  did  not  mean  it  in  that 
way,"  he  said.  "  It  is  an  honor  and  a  great  privilege 
to  be  one  of  your  friends.  I  had  that  honor  and  privi 
lege  once.  May  I  have  it  again  ?  " 

''  Thank  you,  Mr.  Pearson  .  .  .  Now  tell  me 
about  your  novel.  I  remember  it  all  so  well.  And  I 
am  very  much  interested.  You  must  have  it  nearly 
completed.  Tell  me  about  it,  please." 

335 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

They  were  deep  in  the  discussion  of  the  novel  when 
Captain  Elisha  walked  into  the  living  room.  He  was 
surprised,  stating  his  feelings  at  their  mildest,  to  find 
them  together,  but  he  did  not  express  his  astonishment. 
Instead,  he  hailed  Pearson  delightedly,  demanded  to 
know  if  they  had  dared  tackle  Cap'n  Jim  without  the 
"  head  doctor's  "  being  on  the  scene ;  and  insisted  upon 
the  author's  admitting  him  to  the  "clinic"  forthwith. 
Pearson  did  not  take  the  next  train,  nor  the  next.  In 
stead,  he  stayed  for  dinner  and  well  into  the  evening, 
and  when  he  did  go  it  was  after  a  prompt  acceptance 
of  the  captain's  invitation  to  "  come  again  in  a  mighty 
little  while." 

Caroline,  when  she  and  her  uncle  were  alone  after 
their  visitor's  departure,  made  no  protest  against  the 
invitation  having  been  given.  She  did  not  speak  of 
Pearson  at  all.  Captain  Elisha  also  talked  of  other 
things,  principally  about  the  sail-boat,  the  summer  lease 
of  which  he  had  arranged  that  afternoon.  He  declared 
the  sloop  to  be  an  "  able  craft  of  her  tonnage  "  and  that 
they  would  have  some  good  times  aboard  her  or  he 
missed  his  guess.  In  his  own  room,  when  ready  for  bed, 
he  favored  his  reflection  in  the  glass  with  a  broad  smile 
and  a  satisfied  wink,  from  which  proceeding  it  may  be 
surmised  that  the  day  had  not  been  a  bad  one,  according 
to  his  estimate. 

Pearson  came  again  a  week  later,  and  thereafter  fre 
quently.  The  sessions  with  Cap'n  Jim  and  his  asso 
ciates  were  once  more  regular  happenings  to  be  looked 
forward  to  and  enjoyed  by  the  three.  As  the  weather 
grew  warmer,  the  sloop  —  Captain  Elisha  had  the  name 
she  formerly  bore  painted  out  and  Caroline  substituted 
—  proved  to  be  as  great  a  source  of  pleasure  as  her  new 
skipper  had  prophesied.  He  and  his  niece  —  and  occa- 

336 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

sionally  Pearson  —  sailed  and  picnicked  on  the  Sound, 
and  Caroline's  pallor  disappeared  under  the  influence  of 
breeze  and  sunshine.  Her  health  improved,  and  her 
spirits,  also.  She  seemed,  at  times,  almost  happy,  and 
her  uncle  seldom  saw  her,  as  after  the  removal  to  the 
suburb  he  so  frequently  used,  with  tears  in  her  eyes 
and  the  sadness  of  bitter  memories  in  her  expression 
and  manner.  Her  work  at  the  University  grew  steadily 
more  difficult,  but  she  enjoyed  it  thoroughly  and  de 
clared  that  she  would  not  give  it  up  for  worlds. 

In  June  two  very  important  events  took  place.  The 
novel  was  finished,  and  Stephen,  his  Sophomore  year  at 
an  end,  came  home  from  college.  He  had  been  invited 
by  some  classmates  to  spend  a  part  of  his  vacation  with 
them  on  the  Maine  coast,  and  his  guardian  had  consented 
to  his  doing  so ;  but  the  boy  himself  had  something  else 
to  propose.  On  an  evening  soon  after  his  return,  when, 
his  sister  having  retired,  he  was  alone  with  the  captain, 
he  broached  the  idea. 

"  Say,"  he  said,  "  I've  been  thinking  a  good  deal  while 
I've  been  away  this  last  time." 

"  Glad  to  hear  it,  I'm  sure,"  replied  his  uncle,  dryly. 

"  Yes.  I've  been  thinking  —  about  a  good  many  things. 
I'm  flat  broke;  down  and  out,  so  far  as  money  is  con 
cerned.  That's  so,  isn't  it  ? " 

Captain  Elisha  looked  at  him  keenly  for  an  instant. 
Then: 

"  It  appears  that  way,  I'm  afraid,"  he  answered. 
"  What  made  you  ask  ?  " 

"  Nothing.  I  wasn't  asking,  really ;  I  was  just  stating 
the  case.  Now,  the  way  I  look  at  it,  this  college  course 
of  mine  isn't  worth  while.  You're  putting  up  for  it,  and 
I  ought  to  be  much  obliged ;  I  am,  of  course." 

"  You're  wekome,  Stevie." 
337 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  I  know ;  but  what's  the  use  of  it  ?  I've  got  to  go  to 
work  when  it's  over.  And  the  kind  of  work  I  want  to 
do  doesn't  need  university  training.  I'm  just  wasting 
time ;  that's  what  I'm  doing." 

"  Humph !  I  ain't  so  sure  about  that.  But  what  sort 
of  work  do  you  want  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  want  to  be  down  on  the  Street,  as  the  governor 
was.  If  this  Rubber  Company  business  hadn't  knocked 
us  out,  I  intended,  as  soon  as  I  was  of  age,  to  take  that 
seat  of  his  and  start  in  for  myself.  Well,  that  chance 
has  gone,  but  I  mean  to  get  in  some  way,  though  I  have 
to  start  at  the  foot  of  the  ladder.  Now  why  can't  I 
leave  college  and  start  now?  It  will  be  two  years  gained, 
won't  it?" 

Captain  Elisha  seemed  pleased,  but  he  shook  his  head. 

"  How  do  you  know  you'd  like  it  ? "  he  asked. 
"  You've  never  tried." 

"  No,  I  never  have ;  but  I'll  like  it  all  right.  I  know 
I  shall.  It's  what  I've  wanted  to  do  ever  since  I  was 
old  enough  to  think  of  such  things.  Just  let  me  start 
in  now,  right  away,  and  I'll  show  you.  I'll  make  good ; 
you  see  if  I  don't" 

He  was  very  earnest.  The  captain  deliberated  before 
answering. 

"  Stevie,"  he  said,  doubtfully,  "  I  rather  like  to  hear 
you  talk  that  way;  I  own  up  it  pleases  me.  But,  as  to 
your  givin'  up  college  —  that's  different.  Let  me  think 
it  over  for  a  day  or  two ;  that  is,  if  you  can  put  off  the 
Maine  trip  so  long  as  that." 

"  Hang  the  Maine  trip !  You  let  me  get  into  business, 
the  business  I  want  to  get  into,  and  I  won't  ask  for  a 
vacation ;  you  can  bet  on  that !  " 

"  All  right  then.  I'll  think,  and  do  some  questionin' 
around,  and  report  soon's  I've  decided  what's  best/' 

338 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  laid  the  stump  of  his  cigar  in  the  ash  receiver 
and  rose  from  his  chair.  But  his  nephew  had  not  fin 
ished. 

"  There  was  something  else  I  intended  to  say,"  he 
announced,  but  with  less  eagerness. 

"That  so?    What?" 

"  Why  —  why,  just  this."  He  fidgeted  with  his  watch 
chain,  colored  and  was  evidently  uneasy.  "  I  guess  — " 
he  hesitated  — "  I  guess  that  I  haven't  treated  you  as  I 
ought" 

"  I  want  to  know  !     You  guess  that,  hey  ?     Why  ?  " 

"  Oh,  you  know  why.  I've  been  thinking  since  I  went 
back  to  New  Haven.  I've  had  a  chance  to  think.  Some 
of  the  fellows  in  the  set  I  used  to  be  thick  with  up  there 
have  learned  that  I'm  broke,  and  they  —  they  aren't  as 
friendly  as  they  were.  Not  all  of  them,  of  course,  but 
some.  And  I  wouldn't  chase  after  them;  not  much! 
If  they  wanted  to  drop  me  they  could.  You  bet  I 
didn't  try  to  hang  on!  I  was  pretty  sore  for  a  while 
and  kept  to  myself  and  —  well,  I  did  a  lot  of  thinking. 
I  guess  Caro  is  right;  you've  been  mighty  decent  to  her 
and  me." 

He  paused,  but  Captain  Elisha  made  no  comment. 

"  I  guess  you  have,"  continued  Stephen,  soberly. 
"  When  you  first  came,  you  know,  Caroline  and  I  couldn't 
understand.  We  thought  you  were  butting  in  and 
weren't  our  sort,  and  —  and  — " 

"  And  a  hayseed  nuisance  generally ;  I  know.  Heave 
ahead,  son ;  you  interest  me." 

"  Well,  we  didn't  like  it.  And  Mai  Dunn  and  his 
mother  were  always  sympathizing  and  insinuating,  and 
we  believed  they  were  our  best  friends,  and  all  that. 
So  we  didn't  try  to  understand  you  or  —  or  even  make 
it  livable  for  you.  Then,  after  the  news  came  that  the 

339 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

money  had  gone,  I  acted  like  a  kid,  I  guess.     That  busi 
ness  of  making  Mai  stick  to  the  engagement  was  pretty 
silly.     I   was  nearly   desperate,  you   see,   and  —  and  — 
you  knew  it  was  silly.     You  never  took  any  stock  in  it 
did  you?" 

The  captain  smiled. 

"  Not  a  heap,"  he  admitted. 

"  No.  All  you  wanted  was  to  show  them  up.  Well, 
you  did  it,  and  I'm  glad  you  did.  But  Caro  and  I  have 
talked  it  over  since  I've  been  home,  and  we  agree  that 
you've  been  a  great  deal  better  to  us  than  we  deserve. 
You  did/t  have  to  take  care  of  us  at  all,  any  more, 
after  the  money  went.  By  gad!  considering  how  we 
treated  you,  I  don't  see  why  you  did.  /  wouldn't.  But 
you  did  —  and  you  are.  You've  given  us  a  home,  and 
you're  putting  me  through  college  and  —  and — " 

"  That's  all  right,  son.     Good  night." 

"Just  a  minute.  I  —  I  —  well,  if  you  let  me,  I'd  like 
to  thank  you  and  —  and  ask  your  pardon." 

"  Granted,  my  boy.  And  never  mind  the  thanks, 
either.  Just  keep  on  thinkin'  and  actin'  as  you  have 
to-night,  and  I'll  be  satisfied.  I  want  to  see  my  nephew 
makin'  a  man  of  himself  —  a  real  man ;  and,  Steve,  you 
talk  more  like  a  man  to-night  than  I've  ever  heard  you. 
Stick  to  it,  and  you'll  do  yet.  As  for  goin'  to  work, 
you  let  me  chew  on  that  for  a  few  days." 

The  next  morning  he  called  on  Sylvester,  who  in  turn 
took  him  to  a  friend  of  his,  a  broker  —  employing  a 
good-sized  staff  of  clerks.  The  three  had  a  consultation, 
followed,  the  day  after,  by  another.  That  evening  the 
captain  made  a  definite  proposal  to  Stephen.  It  was, 
briefly,  that,  while  not  consenting  to  the  latter's  leaving 
college,  he  did  consider  that  a  trial  of  the  work  in  a 
broker's  office  might  be  a  good  thing.  Therefore,  if  the 

340 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

young  man  wished,  he  could  enter  the  employ  of  Syl 
vester's  friend  and  remain  during  July  and  August. 

"  You'll  leave  about  the  first  of  September,  Steve," 
he  said,  "  and  that'll  give  you  time  for  the  two  weeks 
vacation  that  you  ought  to  have.  Then  you  can  go  back 
to  Yale  and  pitch  in  till  the  next  summer,  when  the  same 
job'll  be  ready  for  you.  After  you're  through  college 
for  good,  if  what  you've  learned  about  brokerin'  ain't 
cured  you  of  your  likin'  for  it  —  if  you  still  want  to  go 
ahead  with  it  for  your  life  job,  then  —  well,  then  we'll 
see.  What  do  you  say  ?  " 

Stephen  had  a  good  deal  to  say,  principally  in  the 
Hne  of  objection  to  continuing  his  studies.  Finding 
these  objections  unavailing,  he  agreed  to  his  guardian's 
proposition. 

"  All  right,"  said  the  captain ;  "  then  you  can  go  to 
work  next  Monday.  But  you'll  have  to  work,  and  be 
just  the  same  as  any  other  beginner,  no  better  and  no 
worse.  There'll  be  no  favoritism,  and,  if  you're  really 
wuth  your  salt,  you  won't  want  any.  Show  *em,  and 
me,  that  you're  wuth  it." 

The  novel,  the  wonderful  tale  which  Captain  Elisha  was 
•ertain  would  make  its  author  famous,  was  finished  that 
very  day  in  June  when  Stephen  came  back  from  New 
Haven.  The  question  of  title  remained,  and  the 
''  clinic,"  now  reenforced  by  Steve  —  whose  dislike  for 
Pearson  had  apparently  vanished  with  others  of  his 
former  likes  and  dislikes  —  considered  that  at  several 
sessions.  At  last  "  The  Man  at  the  Wheel "  was  se 
lected,  as  indicating  something  of  the  hero's  profession 
and  implying,  perhaps,  a  hint  of  his  character.  Then 
came  the  fateful  task  of  securing  a  publisher.  And  the 
first  to  whom  it  was  submitted  —  one  of  the  two  firms 
which  had  already  expressed  a  desire  to  read  the  manu- 

34i 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

script  —  accepted  it,  at  what,  for  a  first  novel,  were  very 
fair  terms.  During  the  summer  there  was  proof  to  be 
read  and  illustrations  to  be  criticized.  Captain  Elisha 
did  not  wholly  approve  of  the  artist's  productions. 

"  Jerushy !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  look  at  that  mainmast ! 
Look  at  the  rake  of  it !  More  like  a  yacht  than  a  deep- 
water  bark,  she  is  enough  sight.  And  the  fust  mate's 
got  a  uniform  cap  on,  like  a  purser  on  a  steamboat. 
Make  that  artist  feller  take  that  cap  off  him,  Jim.  He's 
got  to.  I  wish  he  could  have  seen  some  of  my  mates. 
They  wa'n't  Cunarder  dudes,  but  they  could  make  a 
crew  hop  'round  like  a  sand-flea  in  a  clam  bake." 

Or,  when  the  picture  happened  to  be  a  shore  view : 

"  What  kind  of  a  house  is  that?  Did  you  ever  see  a 
house  like  that  Down-East?  I'll  leave  it  to  anybody  if  it 
don't  look  like  a  sugar  man's  plantation  I  used  to  know 
down  Mobile  way.  All  that  feller  standin'  by  the  door 
needs  is  to  have  his  face  blacked ;  then  he'd  start  singin' 
*  S'wanee  River.'  This  ain't  '  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin.' 
Bah!" 

The  advance  copy,  the  first  one,  was  ready  early  in 
September,  and  the  author,  of  course,  brought  it  im 
mediately  to  his  friends.  They  found  the  dedication 
especially  interesting :  "  To  C.  W.  and  E.  W.,  consult 
ing  specialists  at  the  literary  clinics,  with  grateful  ac 
knowledgments."  Probably  Captain  Elisha  was  never 
prouder  of  anything,  even  his  first  command,  than  of 
that  dedication. 

And  the  story,  when  at  last  it  appeared  for  sale,  was 
almost  from  the  beginning  a  success.  The  reviewers 
praised  it,  the  reading  public  —  that  final  court  of  appeal 
which  makes  or  unmakes  novels  —  took  kindly  to  it, 
and  discussed  and  recommended  it ;  and,  most  important 
of  all,  perhaps,  it  sold  and  continued  to  sell.  There  was 

342 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

something  in  it,  its  humanity,  its  simplicity,  its  clearly 
marked  characters,  which  made  a  hit.  Pearson  no  longer 
needed  to  seek  publishers ;  they  sought  him.  His  short 
stories  were  bid  for  by  the  magazines,  and  his  prices 
climbed  and  climbed.  He  found  himself  suddenly 
planted  in  the  middle  of  the  highway  to  prosperity,  with 
a  clear  road  ahead  of  him,  provided  he  continued  to  do 
his  best. 

In  September  Stephen  gave  up  his  work  at  the  broker's 
office,  spent  the  weeks  with  his  friends  in  Maine,  and 
then  returned  to  Yale.  He  gave  up  the  position  on  the 
Street  with  reluctance.  He  was  sure  he"  liked  it  now, 
he  declared.  It  was  what  he  was  fitted  for,  and  he 
meant,  more  than  ever,  to  take  it  up  permanently  as 
soon  as  he  was  free.  And  his  employer  told  Captain 
Elisha  that  the  youngster  was  bright,  clever,  and  apt. 
"  A  little  conceited,  needs  taking  down  occasionally,  but 
that  is  the  only  trouble.  He  has  been  spoiled,  I  should 
imagine,"  he  said. 

"  Yup,"  replied  the  captain,  with  emphasis ;  "  your 
imagination's  a  good  one.  It  don't  need  cultivatin' 
any." 

The  novel  being  out  of  the  way,  and  its  successor 
not  yet  far  enough  advanced  in  plot  or  general  plan  for 
much  discussion,  the  "  literary  clinics  "  were  no  longer 
as  frequent.  But  Pearson's  visits  to  the  Warren  house 
were  not  discontinued.  All  summer  long  he  had  been 
coming  out,  once,  and  usually  twice,  a  week.  Captain 
Elisha  had  told  him  not  to  stand  on  formality,  to  come 
any  time,  and  he  did.  On  most  of  these  occasions  he 
found  the  captain  at  home ;  but,  if  only  Caroline  was 
there,  he  seemed  quite  contented.  She  did  not  remark 
on  the  frequency  of  his  visits.  In  fact,  she  mentioned 
him  less  and  less  in  conversation  with  her  uncle.  But 

343 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

as  the  autumn  came  and  moved  towards  its  prime  she 
seemed,  to  the  captain's  noticing  eye,  a  trifle  more  grave, 
a  little  more  desirous  of  being  by  herself.  Sometimes  he 
found  her  sitting  by  the  open  fire  —  pleasant  in  the  cool 
October  evenings  —  and  gazing  very  soberly  at  the 
blaze.  She  had  been  in  good  spirits,  more  merry  and 
light-hearted  than  he  had  ever  seen  her,  during  the  lat 
ter  part  of  the  summer ;  now  her  old  sadness  seemed  to 
be  returning.  It  would  have  troubled  him,  this  change 
in  her  mood,  if  he  had  not  believed  he  knew  the  cause. 

He  was  planning  a  glorious  Thanksgiving.  At  least, 
it  would  be  glorious  to  him,  for  he  intended  spending  the 
day,  and  several  days,  at  his  own  home  in  South  Den- 
boro.  Abbie  Baker  had  made  him  promise  to  do  it,  and 
lie  had  agreed.  He  would  not  leave  Caroline,  of  course ; 
she  was  going  with  him.  Steve  would  be  there,  though 
he  would  not  come  until  Thanksgiving  Day  itself. 
Sylvester,  also,  would  be  of  the  party ;  he  seemed  de 
lighted  at  the  opportunity. 

"  I'm  curious  to  see  the  place  where  they  raise  fellows 
like  you,"  the  lawyer  said.  "  It  must  be  worth  looking 
at/' 

"  Graves  don't  think  so,"  chuckled  the  captain.  "  I 
invited  him,  and  he  said,  '  No,  thank  you '  so  quick  that 
the  words  was  all  telescoped  together.  And  he  shivered, 
too,  when  he  said  it ;  just  as  if  he  felt  that  sou'west  gale 
whistlin'  between  his  bones  even  now.  I  told  him  I'd 
pretty  nigh  guarantee  that  no  more  trees  would  fall  OR 
him,  but  it  didn't  have  any  effect." 

Pearson  was  asked  and  had  accepted.  His  going  was 
so  far  a  settled  thing  that  he  had  commissioned  Captain 
Elisha  to  purchase  a  stateroom  for  him  on  the  Fall  River 
boat;  for  of  course  the  captain  would  not  consider  their 
traveling  the  entire  distance  by  train.  At  an  interview 

344 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

in  the  young  man's  room  in  the  boarding  house,  only 
three  days  before  the  date  set  for  the  start,  he  had  been 
almost  as  enthusiastic  as  the  Cape  Codder  himself.  The 
pair  had  planned  several  side  excursions,  time  and 
weather  permitting,  among  them  a  trip  across  the  Sound 
to  Setuckit  Point,  with  the  possibility  of  some  late  sea- 
fowl  shooting  and  a  long  tramp  to  one  of  the  life-saving 
stations,  where  Pearson  hoped  to  pick  up  material  for  his 
new  book.  He  was  all  anticipation  and  enthusiasm  when 
the  captain  left  him,  and  said  he  would  run  out  to  the 
house  the  following  day,  to  make  final  arrangements. 

That  day  Sylvester  'phoned,  asking  Captain  Elisha  to 
come  to  his  office  on  a  matter  of  business.  When,  having 
done  so,  the  captain,  returning,  alighted  at  his  home  sta 
tion,  he  was  surprised  to  see  Pearson  standing  on  the 
platform. 

"  Why,  hello,  Jim !  "  he  exclaimed.  "  What  are  you 
doing  here  ?  Just  come,  have  you  ?  " 

His  friend  shook  his  head.  "  No,  Captain  Warren,'* 
he  said ;  "  I'm  just  going." 

"Goin'?  What  for?  Been  up  to  the  house,  of 
course?  Caroline  told  you  where  I'd  gone  and  that  I  was 
cal'latin'  to  hurry  back,  didn't  she  ?  " 

"  Yes  " 

"  Well,  then,  course  you  ain't  goin' !  You're  goin'  to 
stay  to  dinner.  I've  got  some  things  to  tell  you  about 
that  life-savin'  station  cruise.  I've  been  thinkin'  that  I 
know  the  cap'n  and  most  of  the  crew  on  the  lightship 
off  back  of  the  Point.  How'd  you  like  to  go  aboard  of 
her?  You  could  get  some  yarns  from  those  fellers  that 
might  be  wuth  hearin'." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  I  should.  But  I'm  afraid  I  can't 
go.  The  fact  is,  Captain,  I've  decided  not  to  spend 
Thanksgiving  with  you,  after  all." 

345 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Hey  ?  "  Captain  Elisha  could  scarcely  believe  he  had 
heard  correctly.  "  You  can't  go  — to  South  Denboro?  " 

"  No." 

"  Why  not,  for  the  land  sakes  ?  " 

"  Well,  I've  decided  —  I've  decided  not  to." 

"But,  Jim!  Why,  I  can't  have  it  so!  I'm  dreadful 
disappointed.  I've  counted  on  yonr  goin'.  So  has  Ab- 
bie.  She's  read  your  book,  and  she  says  she's  crazy  to 
.see  the  feller  that  wrote  it.  She's  told  the  minister  and 
a  whole  lot  more,  and  they're  all  comin'  in  to  look  at  you. 
'Tain't  often  we  have  a  celebrated  character  in  our  town. 
You've  got  to  go." 

"  Thank  you,  Captain.  I  appreciate  the  invitation  and 
your  kindness,  but,"  with  decision,  "  I  can't  accept." 

"Can't  you  come  later?  Say  Thanksgivin'  mornin'? 
Or  even  the  day  after  ?  " 

"No." 

"  But  why  not?  What's  the  matter  with  you  all  of  a 
sudden  ?  Come  here !  let  me  look  at  you." 

He  took  the  young  man  by  the  arm  and  led  him,  almost 
by  main  strength,  close  to  the  lighted  window  of  the  sta 
tion.  It  was  late,  and  the  afternoon  was  gloomy.  Here, 
by  the  lamplight  streaming  through  the  window,  he 
could  see  his  face  more  clearly.  He  looked  at  it. 

"  Humph ! "  he  grunted,  after  a  moment's  scrutiny. 
"  You've  made  up  your  mind ;  I  can  see  that.  Have  you 
told  Caroline?  Does  she  know?" 

"  Yes.  You'll  have  to  excuse  me,  Captain  Warren ; 
my  train  is  coming." 

"What  did  she  say?" 

Pearson  smiled,  but  there  was  little  mirth  in  the  smile. 
"  I  think  she  agrees  with  me  that  it  is  best,"  he  observed. 

"  Humph !  She  does,  hey  ?  I  want  to  know !  Look 
liere,  Jim !  have  you  and  she  — " 

346 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

lie  got  no  further,  for  Pearson  broke  away,  and,  with 
a  hurried  "  Good  night,"  strode  up  the  platform  to  meet 
the  city-bound  train.  Captain  Elisha  watched  it  go  and 
then  walked  slowly  homeward,  his  hands  in  his  pockets, 
troubled  and  wondering. 

He  entered  the  house  by  the  back  door,  a  remnant  of 
South  Denboro  habit,  and  found  Annie  in  the  kitchen. 

"  Where's  Caroline  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  She's  in  the  living  room,  sir,  I  think.  Mr.  Pearson 
has  been  here  and  just  gone." 

"  Um-hm.  So  I  heard.  Say,  Annie,  you  needn't 
hurry  dinner;  I  ain't  ready  for  it  yet  awhile." 

He  hung  his  coat  and  hat  in  the  back  hall  and  quietly 
entered  the  living  room.  .  The  lamp  was  not  lighted, 
and  the  room  was  dark,  but  he  saw  his  niece,  a  shad 
owy  figure,  seated  by  the  window.  He  crossed  to  her- 
side. 

"  Well,  Caroline,"  he  said,  cheerfully,  "  I'm  home 
again." 

She  turned.     "  I  see  you  are,"  she  answered. 

"  Humph !  your  eyes  must  be  better  than  mine  then.  I 
can't  see  anything  in  here.  It's  darker  than  a  nigger's 
pocket.  Suppose  we  turn  on  the  glim." 

He  struck  a  match  as  he  said  it.  By  its  light  he  saw 
her  face.  The  match  burned  down  to  his  finger  tips  and 
then  he  extinguished  it. 

"  I  don't  know  but  the  dark  is  just  as  good  and  more 
-economical,"  he  observed.  "  No  use  of  encouragin'  the 
graspin'  ile  trust  unless  it's  necessary.  Let's  you  and  me 
sit  here  in  the  dark  and  talk.  No  objection  to  talkin'  to 
your  back  country  relation,  have  you  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  That's  good.  Well,  Caroline,  I'm  goin'  to  talk  plain 
again.  You  can  order  me  to  close  my  hatch  any  time 
23  347 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

you  feel  like  it ;  that's  skipper's  privilege,  and  you're  boss 
of  this  craft,  you  know.  Dearie,  I  just  met  Jim  Pear 
son.  He  tells  me  he's  decided  not  to  go  on  this  Cape 
cruise  of  ours.  He  said  you  agreed  with  him  'twas  best 
he  shouldn't  go.  Do  you  mind  tellin'  me  why  ?  " 

She  did  not  answer.  He  waited  a  minute  and  then 
continued. 

"  Course,  I  know  I  ain't  got  any  real  right  to  ask,"  he 
went  on ;  "  but  I  think  more  of  you  and  Jim  than  I  do 
of  anybody  else,  and  so  maybe  you'll  excuse  me.  Have 
you  and  he  had  a  f allin'  out  ?  " 

Still  she  was  silent.  He  sighed.  "Well,"  he  ob 
served,  **  I  see  you  have,  and  I  don't  blame  you  for  not 
wantin'  to  talk  about  it.  I'm  awful  sorry.  I'd  begun  to 
hope  that  .  .  .  However,  we'll  change  the  subject. 
Or  we  won't  talk  at  all,  if  you'd  rather  not." 

Another  pause.     Then  she  laid  her  hand  on  his. 

"  Uncle,"  she  said,  "  you  know  I  always  want  to  talk 
to  you.  And,  as  for  the  right  to  ask,  you  have  the  right 
to  ask  anything  of  me  at  any  time.  And  I  should  have 
told  you,  of  my  own  accord,  by  and  by.  Mr.  PearsoH 
and  I  have  not  quarreled;  but  I  think  —  I  think  it  best 
that  I  should  not  see  him  again." 

"  You  do  ?  Not  see  him  —  any  more  —  at  all  ? 
Why,  Caroline ! " 

"  Not  for  a  long,  long  time,  at  least.  It  would  only 
make  it  harder  —  for  him ;  and  it's  of  no  use." 

Captain  Elisha  sighed  again.  "  I  guess  I  understand, 
Caroline.  I  presume  likely  I  do.  He  —  he  asked  some- 
thin'  of  you  —  and  you  couldn't  say  yes  to  him.  That 
was  it,  I  suppose.  Needn't  tell  me  unless  you  really 
want  to,  you  understand,"  he  added,  hastily. 

"  But  I  do.  I  ought  to  tell  you.  I  should  have  told 
you  before,  and  perhaps,  if  I  had,  he  would  not  have 

348 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

.  .  .  Uncle  Elisha,  Mr.  Pearson  asked  me  to  be  his 
wife." 

The  captain  gave  no  evidence  of  surprise. 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  gravely,  "  I  judged  that  was  it. 
And  you  told  him  you  couldn't,  I  suppose.  Well,  dearie, 
that's  a  question  nobody  ought  to  answer  but  the  one. 
She's  the  only  one  that  knows  what  that  answer  should 
be,  and,  when  other  folks  interfere  and  try  to  influence, 
it  generally  means  trouble.  I'm  kind  of  disappointed ; 
I'll  own  up  to  that.  I  think  Jim  is  a  fine,  honest,  able 
young  man,  and  he'd  make  a  good  husband,  I'm  sure. 
And,  so  far  as  his  business,  or  profession,  or  whatever 
you  call  it,  goes,  he's  doin'  pretty  well  and  sartin 
to  do  better.  Of  course,  'twa'n't  that  that  kept  you 
from " 

"  Uncle  Elisha !     Am  /  so  rich  that  I  should  — " 

"  There !  there,  my  girl !  I  know  'twa'n't  that,  of 
course.  I  was  only  thinkin'  out  loud,  that's  all  —  tryin' 
to  find  reasons.  You  didn't  care  for  him  enough,  I  sup 
pose.  Caroline,  you  don't  care  for  anybody  else,  do  you  ? 
You  don't  still  care  for  that  other  feller,  that  — " 

"  Uncle !  "  she  sprang  up,  hurt  and  indignant.  "  How 
can  you  ? "  she  cried.  "  How  could  you  ask  that  ? 
What  must  you  think  of  me  ?  " 

"  Please,  Caroline,"  he  protested ;  "  please  don't.  I 
beg  your  pardon.  I  was  a  fool !  I  knew  better.  Don't 
go.  Tell  me  the  real  reason.  Sit  down  again  and  let's 
talk  this  out.  Do  sit  down !  that's  it.  Now  tell  me ;  was 
it  that  you  couldn't  care  for  Jim  enough  ?  " 

She  hesitated. 

"  Was  it  ?  "  he  repeated. 

"I  —  I  like  Mr.  Pearson  very  much.  I  respect  and 
admire  him." 

"  But  you  don't  love  him.  I  see.  Well,"  sadly, 
349 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"there's  another  one  of  my  dreams  gone  to  smash. 
However,  you  did  just  right,  dearie.  Feelin'  that  way, 
you  couldn't  marry  him,  of  course." 

He  would  have  risen  now,  and  she  detained  him. 

"  That  was  not  the  reason,"  she  said,  in  a  low  tone. 

"Hey?"  he  bent  toward  her.  "What?"  he  cried. 
"  That  wa'n't  the  reason,  you  say  ?  You  do  care  for 
him?" 

She  was  silent. 

"  Do  you  ?  "  he  repeated,  gently.  "  And  yet  you  sent 
him  away.  Why  ?  " 

She  faltered,  tried  to  speak,  and  then  turned  away. 
He  put  his  arm  about  her  and  stroked  her  hair. 

"  Don't  you  cry,  dearie,"  he  begged.  "  I  won't  bother 
you  any  more.  You  can  tell  me  some  other  time  —  if 
you  want  to.  Or  you  needn't  tell  me  at  all.  It's  all 
right;  only  don't  cry.  'Cause  if  you  do,"  with  sudden 
determination,  "  I  shall  cry,  too ;  and,  bein'  as  I  ain't  used 
to  the  exercise,  I  may  raise  such  a  row  that  Annie'll  send 
for  the  constable.  You  wouldn't  want  that  to  happen,  I 
know." 

This  unexpected  announcement  had  the  desired  effect ; 
Caroline  laughed  hysterically  and  freed  herself  from  his 
arm. 

"  I  mustn't  be  so  silly,"  she  said.  "  I  had  made  up  my 
mind  to  tell  you  everything,  and  I  shall.  My  not  caring 
for  Mr.  Pearson  was  not  my  reason  for  refusing  him. 
The  reasons  were  two  —  you  and  Steve." 

"  Me  and  Steve  ?  What  in  the  world  have  we  got  to 
do  with  it  ?  " 

"  Everything.  He  would  marry  me,  poor  as  I  am ; 
and  perhaps  I  —  perhaps  I  should  say  yes  if  things  were 
different.  Oh,  there  is  no  use  my  deceiving  you,  or 
trying  to  deceive  myself !  I  know  I  should  say  yes,  and 

350 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

be   very,   very   happy.     But   I   can't!   and   I    won't!     I 
worftt* 

"  But  why  ?  And  where,  for  mercy's  sake,  do  Steve 
and  I  come  in?  " 

"  Uncle  Elisha,  I  suppose  you  think  I  have  been  per 
fectly  satisfied  to  let  you  take  care  of  me  and  of  my 
brother,  and  give  us  a  home  and  all  that  we  needed  and 
more.  No  doubt  you  thought  me  selfish  enough  to  be 
contented  with  that  and  go  on  as  I  am  —  as  we  are  — 
living  on  your  bounty.  You  had  reason  to  think  so. 
But  I  have  not  been  contented  with  that,  nor  has  Steve. 
He  and  I  have  made  our  plans,  and  we  shall  carry 
them  out.  He  will  leave  college  in  two  years  and  go 
to  work  in  earnest.  Before  that  time  I  shall  be  ready 
to  teach.  I  have  been  studying  with  just  that  idea  in 
view." 

"  Good  land !  Why,  no,  you  ain't !  You've  been 
studyin'  to  help  me  and  Annie  run  this  house." 

"That  was  only  part  of  it  —  the  smallest  part.  I 
haven't  told  you  before,  Uncle,  but  one  of  the  Domestic 
Science  teachers  at  the  University  is  a  girl  I  used  to 
know  slightly.  She  is  going  to  be  married  next  year, 
and,  if  all  goes  well,  I  may  be  appointed  to  her  position 
when  she  leaves.  I  have  a  conditional  promise  already. 
If  I  am,  why,  then,  you  see,  I  shall  really  be  earning  my 
own  living ;  you  will  not  have  to  give  up  your  own  home 
and  all  your  interests  there  to  make  me  comfortable: 
you  can  — " 

"  Here !  here !  "  Captain  Elisha  put  in,  desperately ; 
"  don't  talk  so  ridiculous,  Caroline.  I  ain't  givin'  up 
anything.  I  never  was  more  happy  than  I've  been  right 
here  with  you  this  summer.  I'm  satisfied." 

"  I  know,  but  I  am  not.  And  neither  is  Steve.  He 
and  I  have  planned  it  all.  His  salary  at  first  will  be 

351 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

small,  and  so  will  mine.  But  together  we  can  earn 
enough  to  live  somehow  and,  later  on,  when  he  earns 
more,  perhaps  we  may  be  able  to  repay  a  little  of  all  that 
you  have  given  us.  We  shall  try.  /  shall  insist  upon 

it." 

"Caroline  Warren,  is  that  the  reason  you  sent  Jim 
away?  Did  you  tell  him  that?  Did  you  tell  him  you 
wouldn't  marry  him  on  account  of  me  ?  " 

"  No,  of  course  I  did  not,"  indignantly.     "  I  told  him 

—  I  said  I  must  not  think  of  marriage ;  it  was  impossible. 
And  it  is !    You  know  it  is,  Uncle  Elisha !  " 

"  I  don't  know  any  such  thing.  If  you  want  to  make 
me  happy,  Caroline,  you  couldn't  find  a  better  way  than 
to  be  Jim  Pearson's  wife.  And  you  would  be  happy, 
too ;  you  said  so." 

"  But  I  am  not  thinking  of  happiness.     It  is  my  duty 

—  to  you  and  to  my  own  self-respect.     And  not  only 
that,  but  to  Steve.     Someone  must  provide  a  home  for 
him.     Neither  he  nor  I  will  permit  you  to  do  it  a  day 
longer  than  is  necessary.     I  am  his  sister  and  I  shall  not 
leave  him." 

"  But  you  won't  have  to  leave  him.  Steve's  future's 
all  fixed.  I've  provided  for  Steve." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  What  I  say."  The  captain  was  very  much  excited 
and,  for  once,  completely  off  his  guard.  "  I've  had  plans 
for  Steve  all  along.  He's  doin'  fust-rate  in  that  broker's 
office,  learnin'  the  trade.  Next  summer  he'll  have  an 
other  whack  at  it  and  learn  more.  When  he's  out  of  col 
lege  I'm  goin'  to  turn  over  your  dad's  seat  on  the  Stock 
Exchange  to  him.  Not  give  it  to  him,  you  know  —  not 
right  off  —  but  let  him  try ;  and  then,  if  he  makes  a  good 
fist  at  it,  he'll  have  it  permanent.  Steve's  got  the  best 
chance  in  the  world.  He  couldn't  ask  much  better, 

352 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

seems  to  me.  You  ain't  got  to  fret  yourself  about 
Steve." 

He  paused,  almost  out  of  breath.  He  had  been  speak 
ing  rapidly  so  as  to  prevent  interruption.  Caroline's 
astonishment  was  too  great  for  words,  just  then.  Her 
uncle  anxiously  awaited  her  reply. 

"  You  see,  don't  you  ?  "  he  asked.  "  You  understand. 
Steve's  goin'  to  have  the  chance  to  make  a  good  livin'  at 
the  very  thing  he  declares  he's  set  on  doin'.  I  ain't  told 
him,  and  I  don't  want  you  to,  but  it's  what  I've  planned 
for  him  and  — " 

"  Wait !  wait,  Uncle,  please !  The  Stock  Exchange 
seat?  Father's  seat?  I  don't  see  ...  I  don't  un 
derstand." 

"  Yes,  yes !  "  eagerly ;  "  your  pa's  seat.  I've  meant  it 
for  Steve.  There's  been  chances  enough  to  sell  it,  but 
I  wouldn't  do  that.  'Twas  for  him,  Caroline ;  and  he's 
goin'  to  have  it." 

"  But  I  don't  see  how     .     .     .     Why,  I  thought  — " 

The  door  of  the  dining  room  opened.  Annie  appeared 
on  the  threshold. 

"  Dinner  is  served,"  she  announced. 

"  Be  right  there,  Annie.  Now  you  see  that  you  ain't 
got  to  worry  about  Steve,  don't  you,  Caroline  ?  " 

His  niece  did  not  answer.  By  the  light  from  the  door 
way  he  saw  that  she  was  gazing  at  him  with  a  strange  ex 
pression.  She  looked  as  if  she  was  about  to  ask  an 
other  question.  He  waited,  but  she  did  not  ask  it. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  rising,  "we  won't  talk  any  more  just 
now.  Annie's  soup's  gettin'  cold,  and  she'll  be  in  our 
wool  if  we  don't  have  dinner.  Afterwards  we  can  have 
another  session.  Come,  Caroline." 

She  also  rose,  but  hesitated.  "  Uncle  Elisha,"  she 
said,  "  will  you  excuse  me  if  I  don't  talk  any  more  to- 

353 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

night?  And,  if  you  don't  mind,  I  won't  dine  with  you. 
I'm  not  hungry  and  —  and  my  head  aches.  I'll  go  to  my 
room,  I  think." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  he  said,  hastily,  "  of  course.  I'm  afraid 
I've  talked  too  much  as  'tis.  You  go  up  and  lie  down, 
and  Annie  can  fetch  you  some  toast  and  tea  or  some- 
thin'  by  and  by.  But  do  just  answer  me  this,  Caroline,  if 
you  can:  When  you  told  Jim  marryin'  was  out  of  the 
question  for  you,  did  he  take  that  as  final  ?  Was  he  con 
tented  with  that?  Didn't  he  say  he  was  willin'  to  wait 
for  you,  or  anything  ?  " 

"  Yes,  he  said  he  would  wait,  always.  But  I  told  him 
he  must  not.  And  I  told  him  he  must  go  and  not  see 
me  again.  I  couldn't  see  him  as  I  have  been  doing; 
Uncle,  I  couldn't !  " 

"  I  know,  dearie,  I  know.  But  didn't  you  say  any 
thing  more  ?  Didn't  you  give  him  any  hope  ?  " 

"  I  said,"  she  hesitated,  and  added  in  a  whisper,  "  I 
said  if  I  should  ever  need  him  or  —  or  change  my  mind, 
I  would  send  for  him.  I  shouldn't  have  said  it.  It  was 
weak  and  wicked  of  me,  but  I  said  it.  Please  let  me  go 
now,  Uncle  dear.  Good  night." 

She  kissed  him  and  hurried  away.  He  ate  his  lonely 
dinner  absent-mindedly  and  with  little  appetite.  After 
it  was  finished  he  sat  in  the  living  room,  the  lamp  still 
unlighted,  smoking  and  thinking. 

And  in  her  chamber  Caroline,  too,  sat  thinking  —  not 
altogether  of  the  man  she  loved  and  who  loved  her. 
She  thought  of  him,  of  course ;  but  there  was  something 
else,  an  idea,  a  suspicion,  which  over  and  over  again  she 
dismissed  as  an  utter  impossibility,  but  which  returned 
as  often. 

The  Stock  Exchange  seat  had  been  a  part  of  her 
father's  estate,  a  part  of  her  own  and  Steve's  inheritance 

354 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

Sylvester  had  told  her  so,  distinctly  And  such  a  seat 
was  valuable;  she  remembered  her  brother  reading  in 
the  paper  that  one  had  recently  sold  for  ninety  thousand 
dollars.  How  could  Captain  Warren  have  retained  such 
a  costly  part  of  the  forfeited  estate  in  his  possession? 
For  it  was  in  his  possession;  he  was  going  to  give  it  to 
her  brother  when  the  latter  left  college.  But  how  could 
he  have  obtained  it?  Not  by  purchase ;  for,  as  she  knew, 
he  was  not  worth  half  of  ninety  thousand  dollars. 
Surely  the  creditor,  the  man  who  had,  as  was  his  right, 
seized  all  Rodgers  Warren's  effects,  would  not  have  left 
that  and  taken  the  rest.  Not  unless  he  was  a  curiously 
philanthropic  and  eccentric  person.  Who  was  he? 
Who  was  this  mysterious  man  her  father  had  defrauded? 
She  had  never  wished  to  know  before;  now  she  did. 
And  the  more  she  pondered,  the  more  plausible  her  sus 
picion  became.  It  was  almost  incredible,  it  seemed  pre 
posterous  ;  but,  as  she  went  back,  in  memory,  over  the 
events  since  her  father's  death  and  the  disclosure  of  his 
astonishing  will,  little  bits  of  evidence,  little  happenings 
and  details  came  to  light,  trifles  in  themselves,  but  all 
fitting  in  together,  like  pieces  of  an  inscription  in  mosaic, 
to  spell  the  truth. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

NOVEMBER  weather  on  Cape  Cod  is  what  Cap 
tain  Elisha  described  as  "  considerable 
chancey."  "The  feller  that  can  guess  it  two 
days  ahead  of  time,"  he  declared,  "  is  wastin'  his  talents ; 
he  could  make  a  livin'  prophesyin'  most  anything,  even 
the  market  price  of  cranberries."  When  Caroline,  Syl 
vester,  and  the  captain  reached  South  Denboro  after 
what  seemed,  to  the  two  unused  to  the  leisurely  winter 
schedule  of  the  railroad,  an  interminable  journey  from 
Fall  River,  the  girl  thought  she  had  never  seen  a  more 
gloomy  sky  or  a  more  forbidding  scene.  Gray  clouds, 
gray  sea,  brown  bare  fields ;  the  village  of  white  or  gray- 
shingled  houses  set,  for  the  most  part,  along  the  wind 
ing  main  street;  the  elms  and  silver-leaf  poplars  waving 
bare  branches  in  the  cutting  wind ;  a  picture  of  the  fag 
end  of  loneliness  and  desolation,  so  it  looked  to  her.  She 
remembered  Mr.  Graves's  opinion  of  the  place,  as  jok 
ingly  reported  by  Sylvester,  and  she  sympathized  with 
the  dignified  junior  partner. 

But  she  kept  her  feelings  hidden  on  her  uncle's  ac 
count.  The  captain  was  probably  the  happiest  individual 
in  the  state  of  Massachusetts  that  morning.  He  hailed 
the  train's  approach  to  Sandwich  as  the  entrance  to 
Ostable  County,  the  promised  land,  and,  from  that  sta 
tion  on,  excitedly  pointed  out  familiar  landmarks  and  bits 
of  scenery  and  buildings  with  the  gusto  and  enthusiasm 
of  a  school  boy. 

"  That's  Ostable  court-house,"  he  cried,  pointing. 
356 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  And  see  —  see  that  red-roofed  house  right  over  there, 
just  past  that  white  church?  That's  where  Judge  Baxter 
lives ;  a  mighty  good  friend  of  mine,  the  Judge  is.  I 
stopped  to  his  house  to  dinner  the  night  Graves  came." 

A  little  further  on  he  added,  "  'Twas  about  here  that 
I  spoke  to  Graves  fust.  I  noticed  him  sittin'  right  across 
the  aisle  from  me,  with  a  face  on  him  sour  as  a  sasser 
of  green  tamarind  preserves,  and  I  thought  I'd  be 
sociable.  '  Tough  night,'  I  says.  '  Umph/  says  he. 
'Twa'n't  a  remark  cal'lated  to  encourage  conversation,  so 
I  didn't  try  again  —  not  till  his  umbrella  turned  inside 
out  on  the  Denboro  platform.  Ho!  ho!  I  wish  you'd 
have  seen  his  face  then." 

At  Denboro  he  pointed  out  Pete  Shattuck's  livery 
stable,  where  the  horse  and  buggy  came  from  which 
had  been  the  means  of  transporting  Graves  and  himself 
to  South  Denboro. 

"  See !  "  he  cried.  "  See  that  feller  holdin'  up  the  cor 
ner  of  the  depot  with  his  back!  the  one  that's  so  broad 
in  the  beam  he  has  to  draw  in  his  breath  afore  he  can 
button  his  coat.  That's  Pete.  You'd  think  he  was  too 
sleepy  to  care  whether  'twas  to-day  or  next  week, 
wouldn't  you  ?  Well,  if  you  was  a  summer  boarder  and 
wanted  to  hire  a  team,  you'd  find  Pete  was  awake  and 
got  up  early.  If  a  ten-cent  piece  fell  off  the  shelf  in 
the  middle  of  the  night  he'd  hear  it,  though  I've  known 
him  to  sleep  while  the  minister's  barn  burned  down. 
The  parson  had  been  preachin'  against  horse-tradin' ; 
maybe  that  sermon  was  responsible  for  some  of  the 
morphine  influence." 

Sylvester  was  enjoying  himself  hugely.  Captain 
Elisha's  exuberant  comments  were  great  fun  for  him. 
"  This  is  what  I  came  for,"  he  confided  to  Caroline.  "  I 
don't  care  if  it  rains  or  snows.  I  could  sit  and  listen 

357 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

to  your  uncle  for  a  year  and  never  tire.  He's  a  wonder. 
And  I'm  crazy  to  see  that  housekeeper  of  his.  If  she 
lives  up  to  her  reputation  there'll  be  no  disappointment 
in  my  Thanksgiving  celebration." 

Dan,  the  captain's  hired  man,  met  them  with  the  car 
riage  at  the  station,  and  Miss  Baker  met  them  at  the 
door  of  the  Warren  home.  The  exterior  of  the  big,  old- 
fashioned,  rambling  house  was  inviting  and  homelike, 
in  spite  of  the  gloomy  weather,  and  Caroline  cheered  up 
a  bit  when  they  turned  in  at  the  gate.  Five  minutes  of 
Miss  Abigail's  society,  and  all  gloom  disappeared.  One 
could  not  be  gloomy  where  Miss  Abbie  was.  Her  smile 
of  welcome  was  so  broad  that,  as  her  employer  said,  "  it 
took  in  all  outdoor  and  some  of  Punkhorn  Neck,"  a 
place  which,  he  hastened  to  add,  "  was  forgot  durin' 
creation  and  has  sort  of  happened  of  itself  since." 

Abbie  conducted  Caroline  to  her  room  —  old-fash 
ioned,  like  the  rest  of  the  house,  but  cozy,  warm,  and 
cheery  —  and,  after  helping  in  the  removal  of  her  wraps, 
seized  her  by  both  hands  and  took  a  long  look  at  her 
face. 

"  You'll  excuse  my  bein'  so  familiar  on  short  ac 
quaintance,  dearie,"  she  said,  "but  I've  heard  so  much 
about  you  that  I  feel's  if  I  knew  you  like  own  folks. 
And  you  are  own  folks,  ain't  you?  Course  you  are! 
Everyone  of  'Lisha's  letters  have  had  four  pages  of  you 
to  one  of  anything  else.  I  begun  to  think  New  York 
was  nothin'  but  you  and  a  whole  lot  of  ten-story  houses. 
He  thinks  so  much  of  you  that  I'd  be  jealous,  if  I  had 
that  kind  of  disposition  and  the  time  to  spare.  So  I 
must  have  a  good  look  at  you  ...  I  declare !  you're 
almost  prettier  than  he  said.  May  I  kiss  you?  I'd 
like  to." 

She  did,  and  they  were  friends  at  once. 
358 


I  declare!   you're  almost  prettier  than  he  said. 
May  I  kiss  you?  '  " 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

The  rest  of  that  day  and  evening  were  busy  times. 
Captain  Elisha  showed  his  visitors  about  the  place,  the 
barn,  the  cows,  the  pigpen  —  the  pig  himself  had  gone 
to  fulfill  the  unhappy  destiny  of  pigs,  but  they  would 
meet  him  by  sections  later  on,  so  the  captain  assured 
them.  The  house  and  buildings  were  spotless  in  paint 
and  whitewash ;  the  yard  was  raked  clean  of  every  dead 
leaf  and  twig;  the  whole  establishment  was  so  neat  that 
Caroline  remarked  upon  it. 

"  It  looks  as  if  it  had  been  scoured,"  she  said. 

"  Um-hm,"  observed  her  uncle,  with  a  gratified  nod ; 
"  that's  Abbie.  She  hates  dirt  worse  than  she  does  lazi 
ness,  and  that  ain't  sayin'  a  little.  I  tell  her  she'd  sand- 
soap  the  weather  vane  if  she  could  climb  up  to  it ;  as  'tis, 
she  stays  below  and  superintends  Dan  while  he  does  it. 
If  godliness  wants  to  stay  next  to  cleanliness  when  she's 
around  it  has  to  keep  on  the  jump.  I  always  buy  shirts 
two  degrees  heavier'n  I  need,  'cause  I  know  she'll  have 
'em  scrubbed  thin  in  a  fortni't.  When  it  comes  to  real 
Domestic  Science,  Caroline,  Abbie  ain't  in  the  back  row 
of  the  primer  class,  now  I  tell  you." 

Miss  Baker  had  planned  that  her  young  guest  should 
sit  in  state,  with  folded  hands,  in  the  parlor.  She 
seemed  to  consider  that  the  proper  conduct  for  a  for 
mer  member  of  New  York's  best  society.  She  was 
shocked  when  the  girl  volunteered  to  help  her  about  the 
house. 

"  Course  I  sha'n't  let  you,"  she  said.  "  The  idea  — 
and  you  company!  Got  more  help  than  I  know  what 
to  do  with,  as  'tis.  'Lisha  was  determined  that  I  should 
hire  a  girl  to  wash  dishes  and  things  while  you  was  here. 
Nothin'  would  do  but  that.  So  I  got  Annabel  Haven's 
daughter,  Etta  G.  There's  fourteen  in  that  family,  and 
the  land  knows  'twas  an  act  of  charity  takin'  one  appe- 

359 


tite  out  of  the  house.  Pay  her  fifty  cents  a  day,  I  do, 
and  she's  out  in  the  kitchen  makin'  believe  wash  win 
dows.  They  don't  need  washin',  but  she  was  lookin'  out 
of  'em  most  of  the  time,  so  I  thought  she  might  as  well 
combine  business  with  pleasure." 

But  Caroline  refused  to  sit  in  the  parlor  and  be  "  com 
pany."  She  insisted  upon  helping.  Miss  Baker  pro 
tested  and  declared  there  was  nothing  on  earth  to  be 
done;  but  her  guest  insisted  that,  if  there  was  not,  she 
herself  must  sit.  As  Abbie  would  have  as  soon  thought 
of  attending  church  without  wearing  her  jet  earrings  as 
she  would  of  sitting  down  before  dinner,  she  gave  in, 
after  a  while,  and  permitted  Caroline  to  help  in  arrang 
ing  the  table. 

"  Why,  you  do  fust-rate !  "  she  exclaimed,  in  surprise. 
"  You  know  where  everything  ought  to  go,  just  as  if 
you'd  been  settin'  table  all  your  life.  And  you  ain't, 
because  'Lisha  wrote  you  used  to  keep  hired  help,  two 
or  three  of  'em,  all  the  time." 

Caroline  laughed. 

"  I've  been  studying  housekeeping  for  almost  a  year," 
she  said. 

"  Studyin'  it !  Why,  yes,  now  I  remember  'Lisha 
wrote  you'd  been  studyin'  some  kind  of  science  at  col 
lege.  Twa'n't  settin'  table  science,  I  guess,  though.  Ha ! 
ha!" 

"  That  was  part  of  it."  She  explained  the  course 
briefly.  Abigail  listened  in  amazement. 

"And  they  teach  that  — at  school?"  she  demanded. 
"And  take  money  for  it?  And  call  it  science?  My 
land!  I  guess  I  was  brought  up  in  a  scientific  house 
hold,  then.  I  was  the  only  girl  in  the  family,  and  mother 
died  when  I  was  ten  years  old." 

After  dinner  she  consented  to  sit  for  a  time,  though 
360 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

not  until  she  had  donned  her  Sunday  best,  earrings 
and  all.  Captain  Elisha  and  Sylvester  sat  with  them, 
and  the  big  fireplace  in  the  sitting  room  blazed  and 
roared  as  it  had  not  since  its  owner  left  for  his  long 
sojourn  in  the  city.  In  the  evening  callers  came,  the 
Congregational  minister  and  his  wife,  and  some  of  the 
neighbors.  The  latter  were  pleasant  country  people,  an 
other  retired  sea  captain  among  them,  and  they  all 
seemed  to  have  great  respect  and  liking  for  Captain 
Elisha  and  to  be  very  glad  to  welcome  him  home.  The 
two  captains  spun  salt  water  yarns,  and  the  lawyer  again 
decided  that  he  was  getting  just  what  he  had  come  for. 
They  left  a  little  after  nine,  and  Caroline  said  good  night 
and  went  to  her  room.  She  was  tired,  mentally  and 
physically. 

But  she  did  not  fall  asleep  at  once.  Her  mind  was 
still  busy  with  the  suspicion  which  her  uncle's  words 
concerning  his  future  plans  for  Steve  had  aroused.  She 
had  thought  of  little  else  since  she  heard  them.  The 
captain  did  not  mention  the  subject  again;  possibly,  on 
reflection,  he  decided  that  he  had  already  said  too  much. 
And  she  asked  no  more  questions.  She  determined  not 
to  question  him  —  yet.  She  must  think  first,  and  then 
ask  someone  else  —  Sylvester.  He  knew  the  truth  and, 
if  taken  by  surprise,  might  be  driven  into  confession,  if 
there  should  be  anything  to  confess.  She  was  waiting 
for  an  opportunity  to  be  alone  with  him,  and  that  op 
portunity  had  not  yet  presented  itself. 

The  captain  would  have  spoken  further  with  her  con 
cerning  James  Pearson.  He  was  eager  to  do  that.  But 
her  mind  was  made  up ;  she  had  sent  her  lover  away, 
and  it  was  best  for  both.  She  must  forget  him,  if  she 
could.  So,  when  her  uncle  would  have  spoken  on  that 
subject,  she  begged  him  not  to ;  and  he,  respecting  her 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

feelings  and  believing  that  to  urge  would  be  bad  policy, 
refrained. 

But  to  forget,  she  found,  was  an  impossibility.  In 
the  excitement  of  the  journey  and  the  arrival  amid  new 
surroundings,  she  had  managed  to  keep  up  a  show  of 
good  spirits,  but  now  alone  once  more,  with  the  wind 
singing  mournfully  about  the  gables  and  rattling  the 
windows,  she  was  sad  and  so  lonely.  She  thought  what 
her  life  had  once  promised  to  be  and  what  it  had  be 
come.  She  did  not  regret  the  old  life,  that  life  she  had 
known  before  her  father  died;  she  had  been  happy  in  it 
while  he  lived,  but  miserable  after  his  death.  As  for 
happiness,  she  had  been  happy  that  summer,  happy  with 
her  uncle  and  with  —  him.  And  with  him  now,  even 
though  they  would  be  poor,  as  she  was  used  to  reckon 
ing  poverty,  she  knew  she  could  be  very  happy.  She 
wondered  what  he  was  doing  then;  if  he  was  thinking 
of  her.  She  ought  to  hope  that  he  was  not,  because  it 
was  useless ;  but  she  wished  that  he  might  be,  neverthe 
less.  Then  she  told  herself  that  all  this  was  wicked; 
she  had  made  up  her  mind ;  she  must  be  true  to  the  task 
she  had  set,  duty  to  her  brother  and  uncle. 

Her  uncle!  why  had  her  uncle  done  all  this  for  her? 
And  why  had  her  father  made  him  their  guardian? 
These  were  old  questions,  but  now  she  asked  them  with 
a  new  significance.  If  that  strange  suspicion  of  hers 
was  true  it  would  explain  so  much;  it  would  explain 
almost  everything.  But  it  could  not  be  true;  if  it  was, 
why  had  he  not  told  her  when  the  discovery  of  her 
father's  dishonesty  and  of  the  note  forfeiting  the  estate 
was  made?  Why  had  he  not  told  her  then?  That  was 
what  troubled  her  most.  It  did  not  seem  like  him  to 
do  such  a  thing  —  not  like  his  character  at  all.  There 
fore,  it  could  not  be  true.  Yet  she  must  know.  She 

362 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

resolved  to  question  Sylvester  the  next  day,  if  possible. 
And,  so  resolving,  she  at  last  fell  asleep. 

Her  opportunity  came  the  following  morning,  the  day 
before  Thanksgiving.  After  breakfast  Captain  Elisha 
went  downtown  to  call  on  some  acquaintances.  He  in 
vited  Caroline  and  the  lawyer  to  accompany  him,  but 
they  refused,  the  latter  because  he  judged  his,  a 
stranger's,  presence  during  the  calls  would  be  something 
of  a  hindrance  to  good  fellowship  and  the  discussion  of 
town  affairs  which  the  captain  was  counting  on,  and 
Caroline  because  she  saw  her  chance  for  the  interview 
she  so  much  desired. 

After  the  captain  had  gone,  Sylvester  sat  down  before 
the  fire  in  the  sitting  room  to  read  the  Boston  Tran 
script.  As  he  sat  there,  Caroline  entered  and  closed  the 
door  behind  her.  Miss  Abigail  was  in  the  kitchen,  busy 
with  preparations  for  the  morrow's  plum  pudding. 

The  girl  took  the  chair  next  that  occupied  by  the 
lawyer.  He  put  down  his  paper  and  turned  to  her. 

"  Well,"  he  asked,  "  how  does  this  Cape  Cod  air 
effect  your  appetite,  Caroline?  I'm  ashamed  of  mine. 
I'm  rather  glad  to-morrow  is  Thanksgiving;  on  that  day, 
I  believe,  it  is  permissible,  even  commendable,  to  eat 
three  times  more  than  a  self-respecting  person  ordinarily 
should." 

She  smiled,  but  her  answer  was  in  the  form  of  another 
question,  and  quite  irrelevant. 

"  Mr.  Sylvester,"  she  said,  "  I  wish  you  would  tell  me 
something  about  the  value  of  a  seat  on  the  Stock  Ex 
change.  What  is  the  price  of  one  ?  " 

The  lawyer  looked  at  her  in  surprise. 

"  The  value  of  a  seat  on  the  Stock  Exchange  ?  "  he 
repeated. 

"  Yes ;  what  does  it  cost  to  buy  one?  " 
24  363 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  hesitated,  wondering  why  she  should  be  interested 
in  that  subject.  Captain  Elisha  had  not  told  him  a 
word  of  the  interview  following  Pearson's  last  visit. 
He  wondered,  and  then  surmised  a  reason  —  Stephen,  of 
course.  Steve's  ambition  was  to  be  a  broker,  and  his 
sister  was,  doubtless,  with  sisterly  solicitude  and  femi 
nine  ignorance  of  high  prices,  planning  for  his  future. 

"  Well,"  he  replied,  smiling,  "  they're  pretty  expen 
sive,  I'm  afraid,  Caroline." 

"  Are  they  ?  "  innocently. 

"  Yes.  I  think  the  last  sale  was  at  a  figure  between 
ninety  and  one  hundred  thousand  dollars." 

"  Indeed !  Was  father's  seat  worth  as  much  as 
that?" 

"  Yes." 

"  But,"  with  a  sigh,  "  that,  I  suppose,  went  with  the 
rest  of  the  estate." 

"  Yes." 

"  Into  the  hands  of  the  man  who  took  it  all  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  the  same  hands,"  with  a  sly  smile  at  his  own 
private  joke. 

"  Then  how  does  it  happen  that  my  uncle  has  it  in  his 
possession  ?  " 

The  lawyer  smiled  no  more.  He  turned  in  his  chair 
and  gazed  quickly  and  keenly  at  the  young  lady  beside 
him.  And  her  gaze  was  just  as  keen  as  his  own. 

"What  did  you  say?"  he  asked. 

"  I  asked  you  how  it  happened  that  my  uncle  now  has 
father's  Stock  Exchange  seat  in  his  possession." 

"Why!     .     .     .     Has  he?" 

"  Yes.  And  I  think  you  know  he  has,  Mr.  Sylvester. 
I  know  it,  because  he  told  me  so  himself.  Didn't  you 
know  it?" 

This  was  a  line  shot  from  directly  in  front  and  a 
364 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

hard  one  to  dodge.     A  lie  was  the  only  guard,  and  he 
was  not  in  the  habit  of  lying,  even  professionally. 

"I  —  I  cannot  answer  these  questions,"  he  declared. 
"  They  involve  professional  secrets  and  — " 

"  I  don't  see  that  this  is  a  secret.  My  uncle  has  al 
ready  told  me.  What  I  could  not  understand  was  how 
he  obtained  the  seat  from  the  man  to  whom  it  was  given 
as  a  part  of  father's  debt.  Do  you  know  how  he  ob 
tained  it?" 

"  Er  —  well  —  er  —  probably  an  arrangement  was 
made.  I  cannot  go  into  details,  because  —  well,  for  ob 
vious  reasons.  You  must  excuse  me,  Caroline." 

He  rose  to  go. 

"  One  moment  more,"  she  said,  "  and  one  more  ques 
tion.  Mr.  Sylvester,  who  is  this  mysterious  person  — 
this  stockholder  whom  father  defrauded,  this  person  who 
wishes  his  name  kept  a  secret,  but  who  does  such  queer 
things  ?  Who  is  he  ?  " 

"  Caroline,  I  tell  you  I  cannot  answer  these  questions. 
He  does  wish  to  remain  unknown,  as  I  told  you  and  your 
brother  when  we  first  learned  of  him  and  his  claim.  If 
I  were  to  tell  you  I  should  break  my  faith  with  him. 
.  .  .  You  must  excuse  me ;  you  really  must." 

"  Mr.  Sylvester,  perhaps  you  don't  need  to  tell  me. 
Perhaps  I  can  guess.  Isn't  he  my — " 

"  Caroline,  I  cannot  — " 

"Isn't  he  my  uncle,  Elisha  Warren?" 

Sylvester  was  half  way  to  the  door,  but  she  was  in 
his  path  and  looking  him  directly  in  the  face.  He 
hesitated. 

"  I  thought  so,"  she  said.  "  You  needn't  answer,  Mr. 
Sylvester;  your  face  is  answer  enough.  He  is." 

She  turned  away,  and,  walking  slowly  to  the  chair 
from  which  she  had  arisen,  sank  into  it. 
•  365 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  He  is,"  she  repeated.  "  I  knew  it.  I  wonder  that 
I  didn't  know  it  from  the  very  first.  How  could  I  have 
been  so  blind !  " 

The  lawyer,  nervous,  chagrined,  and  greatly  troubled, 
remained  standing  by  the  door.  He  did  not  know 
whether  to  go  or  stay.  He  took  his  handkerchief  from 
his  pocket  and  wiped  his  forehead. 

"  Whew !  "  he  exclaimed.     "  Well,  by  —  George!  " 

She  paid  no  attention  to  him,  but  went  on,  speaking, 
apparently,  to  herself. 

"  It  explains  everything,"  she  said.  "  He  was  father's 
brother;  and  father,  in  some  way,  took  and  used  his 
money.  But  father  knew  what  sort  of  man  he  was, 
and  so  he  asked  him  to  be  our  guardian.  Father  thought 
he  would  be  kind  to  us,  I  suppose.  And  he  has  been 
kind  —  he  has.  But  why  did  he  keep  it  a  secret  ?  Why 
did  he  ...  I  don't  understand  that.  Of  course  the 
money  was  his;  all  we  had  was  his,  by  right.  But  to 
say  nothing  .  .  .  and  to  let  us  believe  .  .  . 
It  does  not  seem  like  him  at  all.  It  .  .  ." 

Sylvester  interrupted  quickly.  "  Caroline !  Caro 
line  ! "  he  said,  "  don't  make  any  mistake.  Don't  mis 
judge  your  uncle  again.  He  is  a  good  man;  one  of  the 
best  men  I  ever  knew.  Yes,  and  one  of  the  wisest. 
Don't  say  or  think  anything  for  which  you  may  be  sorry. 
I  am  speaking  as  your  friend." 

She  turned  toward  him  once  more,  the  distressed, 
puzzled  look  still  on  her  face.  "  But  I  don't  under 
stand,"  she  cried.  "He  .  .  .  Oh,  Mr.  Sylvester, 
please,  now  that  I  do  know  —  now  that  you  have  told 
me  so  much  —  won't  you  tell  me  the  rest ;  the  reason 
and  — all  of  it?  Please!" 

The  lawyer  shook  his  head,  regarding  her  with  an 
expression  of  annoyance  and  reluctant  admiration. 

366 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Now  that  I've  told  you ! "  he  repeated.  "  I  don't 
remember  that  I've  told  you  anything." 

"  But  you  have.  Not  in  words,  perhaps,  but  you  have 
told  me.  I  know.  Please  go  on  and  tell  me  all.  If 
you  don't,"  with  determination,  "  I  shall  make  Uncle 
Elisha  tell  me  as  soon  as  he  comes.  I  shall !  " 

Sylvester  sighed.  "  Well,  by  George !  "  he  repeated, 
feelingly.  "  I'll  tell  you  one  thing,  young  woman,  you're 
wasting  your  talents.  You  should  be  a  member  of  the 
bar.  Anyone  who  can  lead  a  battle-scarred  veteran 
of  cross-examination  like  myself  into  a  trap  and  then 
spring  it  on  him,  as  you  have  done,  is  gifted  by  Provi 
dence." 

"But  will  you  tell  me?" 

He  hesitated,  perplexed  and  doubtful. 

"  I  ought  not  to  say  another  word  on  the  subject,"  he 
declared,  emphatically.  "  What  Captain  Warren  will 
say  to  me  when  he  finds  this  out  is  unpleasant  to  con 
sider.  But  .  .  .  But  yet,  I  don't  know.  It  may  be 
better  for  you  to  learn  the  real  truth  than  to  know  a  part 
and  guess  wrongly  at  the  rest.  I  ...  What  is  it 
you  want  me  to  tell  you  ?  " 

"  Everything.  I  want  you  to  sit  down  here  by  me 
and  tell  me  the  whole  story,  from  the  beginning. 
Please." 

He  hesitated  a  moment  longer  and,  then,  his  mind 
made  up,  returned  to  his  chair,  crossed  his  legs  and  be 
gan.  "  Here  it  is,"  he  said. 

"  Caroline,  about  twenty  years  ago,  or  such  matter, 
your  father  was  a  comparatively  poor  man  —  poor,  I 
mean,  compared  to  what  he  afterward  became.  But  he 
was  a  clever  man,  an  able  business  man,  one  who  saw 
opportunities  and  grasped  them.  At  that  time  he  ob 
tained  a  grant  in  South  America  for  — " 

367 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  I  know,"  she  interrupted ;  "  the  Akrae  Rubber  Com 
pany  was  formed.  You  told  Steve  and  me  all  about 
that.  What  I  want  to  know  is  — " 

"  Wait.  I  did  not  tell  you  all  about  it  I  said  that 
another  man  invested  ten  thousand  dollars  with  your 
father  to  form  that  company.  That  man,  so  we  now 
know,  was  your  uncle,  Captain  Elisha  Warren." 

"  I  guessed  that.     Of  course  it  must  have  been  he." 

"  It  was.  The  captain  was  older  than  your  father, 
had  lived  carefully,  and  had  saved  some  money.  Also, 
at  that  time,  he  idolized  his  brother  and  believed  in  his 
shrewdness  and  capability.  He  invested  this  ten  thou 
sand  on  Rodgers  Warren's  word  that  the  investment  was 
likely  to  be  a  good  one.  That,  and  to  help  the  latter  in 
business.  For  a  few  years  the  company  did  nothing; 
during  that  time  your  father  and  uncle  disagreed  —  con 
cerning  another  matter,  quite  unconnected  with  this  one 
—  and  they  did  not  see  each  other  again  while  Rodgers 
lived.  In  that  long  period  the  Akrae  Company  made 
millions.  But  Elisha  supposed  it  to  be  bankrupt  and 
worthless ;  because  —  well,  to  be  frank,  because  his 
brother  wrote  him  to  that  effect." 

He  paused,  fearful  of  the  effect  which  this  announce 
ment  might  have  upon  the  girl.  But  she  had  guessed 
this  part  of  her  father's  dishonor  and  was  prepared 
for  it.  She  made  no  comment,  and  he  continued. 

"  Now  we  come  to  the  will.  Your  father,  Caroline, 
was  not  a  bad  man  at  heart.  I  knew  him  well,  and  I 
believe  that  may  be  said  truthfully.  He  realized  what 
he  had  done,  how  he  had  defrauded  the  brother  who 
had  been  so  kind  to  him,  and  he  meant,  he  kept  prom 
ising  himself,  to  some  day  repay  the  money  he  had  taken. 
To  insure  that,  he  put  that  note  with  the  other  papers 
of  the  Company.  If  he  did  repay,  it  could  be  destroyed. 

368 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

If  he  did  not,  if  he  should  die,  it  would  be  there  to 
prove  —  what  it  did  prove.  But  always  in  his  mind  was 
the  thought  of  you  and  Steve,  the  children  he  loved. 
He  had  quarreled  with  his  brother  it  is  true ;  he  had 
cheated  him,  but  restitution  for  that  cheat  he  had  pro 
vided.  But  what  would  become  of  you,  left  —  in  case 
he  died  without  making  restitution  —  penniless?  He 
knew  his  brother,  as  I  said;  knew  his  character,  re 
spected  his  honesty,  and  believed  in  his  conscientiousness 
and  his  big  heart.  So  he  made  his  will,  and  in  it,  as  you 
know,  he  appointed  Elisha  your  guardian.  He  threw  his 
children  and  their  future  upon  the  mercy  and  generosity 
of  the  brother  he  had  wronged.  That  is  his  reason,  as 
we  surmise  it,  for  making  that  will." 

He  paused  again.  Caroline  did  not  speak  for  a  mo 
ment.  Then  she  asked: 

"  And  no  one  knew  —  you  or  my  uncle  or  anyone  — 
of  all  this  until  last  March?  " 

"  No.  Graves  had,  with  his  usual  care  and  patience, 
pieced  together  the  evidence  and  investigated  until  we 
were  sure  that  a  stockholder  in  the  Akrae  Company 
existed  and  that  all  of  your  father's  estate  belonged  to 
him.  Who  that  stockholder  was  we  did  not  know  until 
that  day  of  the  meeting  at  our  office.  Then  Captain 
Warren  told  us." 

"  But  he  did  not  know,  either  ?  " 

"  Not  until  then.  He  supposed  his  Akrae  stock  worth 
less,  and  had  practically  forgotten  it.  When  we  told 
him  of  its  value,  of  the  note,  and  of  the  missing  share 
holder,  he  knew,  of  course." 

"  What  did  he  say  ?  " 

"  Say  ?  Caroline,  he  was  the  most  distressed  and  con 
science-stricken  man  in  the  city.  One  would  have 
thought  he  was  the  wrongdoer  and  not  the  wronged. 

369 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

He  would  have  gone  straight  to  you  and  asked  your 
pardon,  if  we  would  have  permitted  it." 

"  But,  Mr.  Sylvester,  now  we  are  coming  to  the  part 
I  cannot  understand.  Of  course  the  estate  belonged  to 
him,  I  know  that.  It  is  his.  But  why  didn't  he  tell 
Steve  and  me  the  truth  then,  at  once?  Why  did  he  let 
us  believe,  and  employ  you  to  lead  us  to  believe,  that  it 
was  not  he  but  someone  else?  Did  he  think  we  would 
blame  him  ?  Why  has  he  — " 

"Caroline!  Caroline!  don't  you  understand  yet?  Do 
you  imagine  for  one  moment  that  your  uncle  intends 
keeping  that  money  ?  " 

She  stared  at  him  in  utter  amazement. 

"Keeping  it?"  she  repeated.  "Why  not?  It  is  his. 
It  belongs  to  him." 

"  Caroline,  I'm  afraid  you  don't  know  him,  even  yet. 
He  was  for  going  to  you  at  once  and  destroying  the  note 
in  your  presence.  He  would  have  done  it,  but  we  per 
suaded  him  to  wait  and  think  it  over  for  a  day  or  two. 
He  did  think  and  then  decided  to  wait  a  little  longer,  for 
your  sake." 

"  For  my  sake  ?  For  mine  ?  "  she  passed  her  hand  in 
a  bewildered  way  across  her  forehead.  "  Mr.  Sylvester, 
I  don't  seem  to  understand  even  now.  I  — " 

"  For  your  sake,  Caroline.  Remember,  at  that  time 
you  were  engaged  to  Malcolm  Dunn." 

Her  intent  gaze  wavered.  She  drew  a  long  breath. 
"  I  see,"  she  said,  slowly.  "Oh  .  .  .  I  see." 

"  Yes.  Captain  Warren  is  one  of  the  best  judges  of 
character  I  ever  met.  The  Dunns  did  not  deceive  him 
for  one  moment.  He  was  certain  Malcolm  intended 
marrying  you  because  of  your  money;  for  that  matter, 
so  was  I.  But  his  was  the  plan  entirely  which  showed 
them  to  you  as  they  were.  He  knew  you  were  too  hon- 

370 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

est  and  straightforward  to  believe  such  things  of  the 
man  to  whom  you  were  engaged  if  they  were  told  you; 
you  must  see  the  proof  with  your  own  eyes.  And  he 
showed  it  to  you." 

"  But  then,"  she  begged,  distractedly,  "  why  couldn't 
he  tell  me  after  that  ?  I  —  I  am  so  stupid,  I  suppose  — 
but,  Mr.  Sylvester,  all  this  is  —  is — " 

"  He  might  have  told  you  then,  but  he  did  not  think 
it  best.  Caroline,  your  uncle  has  always  believed  in  you. 
Even  when  you  sent  him  from  your  home  he  did  not 
blame  you;  he  said  you  were  deceived,  that  was  all. 
But,  too,  he  has  always  declared  that  you  had  been,  as 
he  expressed  it,  '  brought  up  wrong.'  Your  money  had, 
in  a  way,  warped  your  estimate  of  people  and  things. 
He  believed  that,  if  you  were  given  the  opportunity,  you 
would  learn  that  wealth  does  not,  of  itself,  mean  hap 
piness.  So  he  decided  not  to  tell  you,  not  to  give  you 
back  your  share  of  your  father's  money  —  he  refuses 
to  consider  it  his  —  until  another  year,  until  you  were 
of  age,  at  least.  And  there  was  Steve.  You  know, 
Caroline,  that  money  and  what  it  brought  was  spoiling 
Steve.  He  has  never  been  so  much  a  man  as  during  the 
past  year,  when  he  thought  himself  poor.  But  your 
xmcle  has  planned  for  him  as  well  as  for  you  and,  when 
he  believes  the  time  has  come,  he  — " 

"  Please,"  she  interrupted,  falteringly ;  "  please  don't 
say  any  more.  Let  me  think.  Oh,  please  let  me  think, 
Mr.  Sylvester  .  .  .  You  say  that  Uncle  Elisha  in 
tends  giving  us  all  that  father  took  from  him?  All  of 
it?" 

"  Yes,  all.  He  considers  himself  merely  your  guard 
ian  still  and  will  accept  only  his  expenses  from  the 
estate." 

"But  — but  it  is  wonderful!" 
24*  371 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  Yes,  it  is.  But  I  have  learned  to  think  him  a  won 
derful  man." 

She  shook  her  head. 

"  It  is  wonderful !  "  she  repeated,  brokenly.  "  Even 
though  we  cannot  take  it,  it  is  wonderful." 

"What?     Cannot  take  it?" 

"  Of  course  not !  Do  you  suppose  that  either  my 
brother  or  I  will  take  the  fortune  that  our  father  stole 
—  yes,  stole  from  him?  After  he  has  been  living  almost 
in  poverty  all  these  years  and  we  in  luxury  —  on  his 
money  ?  Of  course  we  shall  not  take  it !  " 

"  But,  Caroline,  I  imagine  you  will  have  to  take  it.  I 
understand  your  feelings,  but  I  think  he  will  compel  you 
to  take  it." 

"  I  shall  not!"  she  sprang  to  her  feet.  "  Of  course  I 
shall  not !  Never !  never !  " 

"  What's  that  you're  never  goin'  to  take,  Caroline  ? 
Measles?  or  another  trip  down  in  these  parts?  I  hope 
'tain't  the  last,  'cause  I've  been  cal'latin'  you'd  like  it 
well  enough  to  come  again." 

Caroline  turned.  So  did  Sylvester.  Captain  Elisha 
was  standing  in  the  doorway,  his  hand  on  the  knob.  He 
was  smiling  broadly,  but  as  he  looked  at  the  two  by  the 
fire  he  ceased  to  smile. 

"What's  all  this?"  he  asked,  suspiciously.  "Caro 
line,  what — Sylvester,  what  have  you  been  tellin'  her?" 

Neither  answered  at  once.  The  captain  looked  from 
one  to  the  other. 

"  Well,  what's  up  ?  "  he  demanded.  "  What's  the  mat 
ter?" 

The  lawyer  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  What's  up?  "  he  repeated.  "  Humph !  well,  I  should 
say  the  jig  was  up.  The  murder's  out.  The  cat  is  no 
longer  in  the  bag.  That's  about  the  size  of  it." 

372 


"  Sylvester ! "  Caroline  had  never  seen  her  uncle 
thoroughly  angry  before ;  "  Sylvester,"  he  cried,  "  have 
you  —  Have  you  dast  to  tell  her  what  you  shouldn't  ? 
Didn't  you  promise  me?  If  you  told  that  girl,  I'll  — 
I'll—" 

His  niece  stepped  forward.  "  Hush,  Uncle  Elisha," 
she  said.  "  He  didn't  tell  me  until  I  knew  already.  I 
guessed  it.  Then  I  asked  for  the  whole  truth,  and  he 
told  me." 

"  The  whole  truth  ?     Caroline ! " 

He  wrung  his  hands. 

"  Yes,  Uncle,  the  whole  truth.  I  know  you  now.  I 
thought  I  knew  you  before  ;  but  I  didn't  —  not  half.  I 
do  now." 

"  Oh,  Caroline ! "  he  stepped  toward  her  and  then 
stopped,  frantic  and  despairing.  "  Caroline !  Caroline !  " 
he  cried  again,  "  can  you  ever  forgive  me  ?  You  know 
—  you  must  know  I  ain't  ever  meant  to  keep  it.  It's 
all  yours.  I  just  didn't  give  it  to  you  right  off  because 
.  .  .  because  .  .  .  Oh,  Sylvester,  tell  her  I  never 
meant  to  keep  it !  Tell  her !  " 

The  lawyer  shook  his  head.  "  I  did  tell  her,**  he  said, 
with  another  shrug,  "  and  she  tells  me  she  won't  ac 
cept  it." 

"  What  ? "  the  captain's  eyes  were  starting  from  his 
head.  "What?  Won't  take  it?  Why,  it's  hers  — 
hers  and  Steve's!  It  always  has  been!  Do  you  ear- 
late  I'd  rob  my  own  brother's  children?  Don't  talk  so> 
foolish  !  I  won't  hear  such  talk !  " 

Caroline  was  close  to  tears,  but  she  was  firm. 

"  It  isn't  ours,"  she  said.  "  It  is  yours.  Our  father 
kept  it  from  you  all  these  years.  Do  you  suppose  we 
will  keep  it  any  longer  ?  " 

Captain  Elisha  looked  at  her  determined  face ;  then  at 
373 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

the  lawyer's  —  but  he  found  no  help  there.  His  chin 
thrust  forward.  He  nodded  slowly. 

"  All  right !  all  right !  "  he  said,  grimly.  "  Sylvester, 
is  your  shop  goin'  to  be  open  to-morrer?  " 

"  Guess  not,  Captain,"  was  the  puzzled  reply.  "  It's 
Thanksgiving.  Why  ?  " 

"  But  Graves'll  be  to  home,  won't  he  ?  I  could  find 
him  at  his  house?" 

"  I  presume  you  could." 

"  All  right,  then !  Caroline  Warren,  you  listen  to  me  : 
I'll  give  you  till  two  o'clock  to  make  up  your  mind  to 
take  the  money  that  belongs  to  you.  If  you  don't,  I 
swear  to  the  Lord  A'mighty  I'll  take  the  fust  train,  go> 
straight  to  New  York,  hunt  up  Graves,  make  him  go 
down  to  the  office  and  get  that  note  your  father  made 
out  turnin'  all  his  property  over  to  that  Akrae  Com 
pany.  I'll  get  that  note  and  I'll  burn  it  up.  Then — • 
then  you'll  have  to  take  the  money,  because  it'll  be  yours. 
Every  bit  of  evidence  that'll  hold  in  law  is  gone,  and 
nobody  but  you  and  Steve'll  have  the  shadow  of  a 
claim.  I'll  do  it,  so  sure  as  I  live !  There !  now  you  can 
make  up  your  mind." 

He  turned,  strode  to  the  door  and  out  of  the  room. 
A  moment  later  they  heard  a  scream  from  Miss  Baker 
in  the  kitchen :  "  'Lisha  Warren,  what  ails  you  ?  Are 
you  crazy?"  There  was  no  answer,  but  the  back  door 
closed  with  a  tremendous  bang. 

Half  an  hour  after  his  dramatic  exit  Captain  Elisha 
was  pacing  up  and  down  the  floor  of  the  barn.  It  was 
an  old  refuge  of  his,  a  place  where  he  was  accustomed 
to  go  when  matters  requiring  deliberation  and  thought 
oppressed  him.  He  was  alone.  Dan  had  taken  the 
horse  to  the  blacksmith's  to  be  shod. 

374 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

The  captain  strode  across  the  floor,  turned  and  strode 
back  again.  Every  few  moments  he  looked  at  his  watch. 
It  was  a  long  way  to  two  o'clock,  but  each  additional 
moment  was  another  weight  piled  upon  his  soul.  As  he 
turned  in  his  stride  he  saw  a  shadow  move  across  the 
sill  of  the  big,  open  door.  He  caught  his  breath  and 
stopped. 

Caroline  entered  the  barn.  She  came  straight  to  him 
and  put  her  hands  upon  the  lapels  of  his  coat.  Her  eyes 
were  wet  and  shining. 

"  Caroline  ?  "  he  faltered,  eagerly. 

"  You  good  man !  "  she  breathed,  softly.  "  Oh,  you 
good  man ! " 

"  Caroline !  "  his  voice  shook,  but  there  was  hope  in  it. 
"  Caroline,  you're  goin'  to  take  the  money  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Uncle  Elisha.  Mr.  Sylvester  'has  shown  me 
that  I  must.  He  says  you  will  do  something  desperate 
if  I  refuse." 

"  I  sartin  would !     And  you'll  take  it,  really  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Uncle  Elisha." 

"  Glory  be  {  And  —  and,  Caroline,  you  won't  hold  it 
against  me,  my  makin'  you  think  you  was  poor,  and 
makin'  you  live  in  that  little  place,  and  get  along  on  just 
so  much,  and  all  that?  Can  you  forgive  me  for  doin' 
that?" 

"  Forgive  you  ?  Can  I  ever  thank  you  enough  ?  I 
know  I  can't;  but  I  can  try  all  my  life  to  prove  what — " 

"  S-s-h-h  !  s-s-h !  .  .  .  There !  "  with  a  great  sigh, 
almost  a  sob,  of  relief,  "  I  guess  this'll  be  a  real  Thanks- 
givin',  after  all." 

But,  a  few  minutes  later,  another  thought  came  to  him. 

"  Caroline,"  he  asked,  "  I  wonder  if,  now  that  things 
are  as  they  are,  you  couldn't  do  somethin'  else  —  some- 
thin'  that  would  please  me  an  awful  lot?" 

375 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"What  is  it,  Uncle?" 

"  It's  somethin'  perhaps  I  ain't  got  any  right  to  ask. 
You  mustn't  say  yes  if  you  don't  want  to.  The  other 
day  you  told  me  you  cared  for  Jim  Pearson,  but  that  you 
sent  him  away  'cause  you  thought  you  had  to  earn  a 
livin'  for  you  and  Steve.  Now  you  know  that  you  ain't 
got  to  do  that.  And  you  said  you  told  him  if  you  ever 
changed  your  mind  you'd  send  for  him.  Don't  you 
s'pose  you  could  send  for  him  now  —  right  off  —  so  he 
could  get  here  for  this  big  Thanksgivin'  of  ours  ?  Don't 
you  think  you  could,  Caroline  ?  " 

He  looked  down  into  her  face,  and  she  looked  down 
at  the  barn  floor.  But  he  saw  the  color  creep  up  over 
her  forehead. 

"  Send  for  him  —  now  ?  "  she  asked,  in  a  low  tone. 

"  Yes.     Now  —  right  off.     In  time  for  to-morrow !  " 

"  He  could  not  get  here,"  she  whispered. 

"  Yes,  he  could.  If  you  send  him  a  telegram  with  one 
word  in  it :  '  Come ' — and  sign  it  '  Caroline  ' —  he'll  be 
here  on  to-morrow  mornin's  train,  or  I'll  eat  my  hat  and 
one  of  Abbie's  bonnets  hove  in.  Think  you  could,  Caro 
line?" 

A  moment;  then  in  a  whisper,  "Yes,  Uncle  Elisha." 

"Hooray!  But  —  but,"  anxiously,  "hold  on,  Caro 
line.  Tell  me  truly  now.  You  ain't  doin*  this  just  to 
please  me  ?  You  mustn't  do  that,  not  for  the  world  and 
all.  You  mustn't  send  for  him  on  my  account.  Only 
just  for  one  reason  —  because  you  want  him." 

He  waited  for  his  answer.  Then  she  looked  up,  blush 
ing  still,  but  with  a  smile  trembling  on  her  lips. 

"  Yes,  Uncle  Elisha,"  she  said,  "  because  /  want  him." 

The  clouds  blew  away  that  night,  and  Thanksgiving 
day  dawned  clear  and  cold.  The  gray  sea  was  now  blue ; 

376 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

the  white  paint  of  the  houses  and  fences  glistened  in  the 
sun ;  the  groves  of  pitchpine  were  brilliant  green  blotches 
spread  like  rugs  here  and  there  on  the  brown  hills. 
South  Denboro  had  thrown  off  its  gloomy  raiment  and 
was  "  all  dolled  up  for  Thanksgivin',"  so  Captain  Elisha 
said. 

The  captain  and  Sylvester  were  leaning  on  the  fence 
by  the  gate,  looking  up  the  road  and  waiting  for  Dan  and 
the  "  two-seater "  to  heave  in  sight  around  the  bend. 
The  hired  man  had  harnessed  early  and  driven  to  the  sta 
tion  at  least  thirty  minutes  before  train  time.  Captain 
Elisha  was  responsible  for  the  early  start.  Steve  was 
coming  on  that  train ;  possibly  someone  else  was  coming. 
The  captain  did  not  mean  they  should  find  no  welcome 
or  vehicle  at  the  station. 

The  whistle  had  sounded  ten  minutes  before.  It  was 
time  for  Dan  to  appear  at  the  bend. 

"  I  hope  to  thunder  Jim  got  that  telegram/'  observed 
the  captain  for  the  twentieth  time,  at  least,  since  break 
fast. 

"  So  do  I,"  replied  his  friend.  "  There's  no  reason 
why  he  shouldn't,  is  there  ?  " 

"  No,  no  sensible  one ;  but  I've  scared  up  no  less  than 
a  couple  of  hundred  of  the  other  kind.  If  he  shouldn't 
come  —  my,  my !  she'd  be  disappointed." 

"  You  wouldn't  feel  any  disappointment  yourself,  of 
course,"  said  the  lawyer,  with  sarcasm. 

"Who?  Me?  Oh,  I'd  be  sorer'n  a  scalded  wharf 
rat  in  a  barrel  of  pepper.  But  I  don't  count.  There's 
the  real  one  up  there." 

He  motioned  with  his  head  toward  the  window  of  Car 
oline's  room.  Sylvester  nodded.  "  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I 
suppose  so.  Captain,  I'm  somewhat  surprised  that  you 
should  be  willing  to  trust  that  niece  of  yours  to  another 

377 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

man.     She's  a  pretty  precious  article,  according  to  your 
estimate/' 

"  Well,  ain't  she  accordin'  to  yours  ?  " 

"  Yes.  Pretty  precious  and  precious  pretty.  Look  at 
her  now." 

They  turned  in  time  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the  girl  as 
she  parted  the  curtains  and  looked  out  on  the  road.  She 
saw  them  looking  at  her,  smiled,  blushed,  and  disap 
peared.  Both  men  smoked  in  silence  for  a  moment. 
Then  the  captain  said : 

"  Waitin'.  Hi  hum !  nothin'  like  it,  when  you're  wait- 
in'  for  the  one,  is  there  ?  " 

"  No,  nothing." 

"  Yup.  Well,  for  a  pair  of  old  single  hulks  our  age, 
strikes  me  we're  gettin'  pretty  sentimental.  You  say  you 
wonder  I'd  trust  Caroline  to  another  man ;  I  wouldn't  to 
the  average  one.  But  Jim  Pearson's  all  right.  You'll 
say  so,  too,  when  you  know  him  as  well  as  I  do." 

"  I'll  trust  your  judgment,  any  time.  So  you  won't 
tell  Steve  yet  awhile  that  he's  not  broke  ?  " 

"  No.  And  Caroline  won't  tell  him,  either.  Steve's 
doin'  fust-rate  as  he  is.  He's  in  the  pickle  tub  and  'twill 
do  him  good  to  season  a  spell  longer.  But  I  think  he's 
goin'  to  be  all  right  by  and  by.  Say,  Sylvester,  this  New 
York  cruise  of  mine  turned  out  pretty  good,  after  all, 
didn't  it?" 

"  Decidedly  good.  It  was  the  making  of  your  niece 
and  nephew.  Caroline  realizes  it  now ;  and  so  will  Steve 
later  on." 

"  Hope  so.  It  didn't  do  me  any  harm,"  with  a 
chuckle.  "  I  wouldn't  have  missed  that  little  beat  up  the 
bay  with  Marm  Dunn  for  a  good  deal.  For  a  spell  there 
we  was  bows  abreast,  and  'twas  hard  to  tell  who'd  turn 
the  mark  first.  Heard  from  the  Dunns  lately?" 

378 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

"  No.  Why,  yes,  I  did  hear  that  they  were  in  a 
tighter  box  than  ever,  financially.  The  smash  will  come 
pretty  soon." 

"  I'm  sorry.  The  old  lady'll  go  down  with  colors 
nailed  to  the  mast,  I'll  bet;  and  she'll  leave  a  lot  of  suds 
where  she  sank.  Do  you  know,  I  never  blamed  her  so 
much.  She  was  built  that  way.  She's  consider'ble  like 
old  Mrs.  Patience  Blodgett,  who  used  to  live  up  here  to 
the  Neck ;  like  her  —  only  there  never  was  two  people 
more  different.  Pashy  was  the  craziest  blue-ribboner 
you  ever  saw.  Her  one  idea  in  life  was  gettin'  folks  to 
sign  the  pledge.  She  married  Tim  Blodgett,  who  was 
the  wust  soak  in  the  county  —  he'd  have  figgered  out, 
if  you  analyzed  him,  about  like  a  bottle  of  patent  medi 
cine,  seventy-two  per  cent  alcohol.  Well,  Pashy  mar 
ried  him  to  reform  him,  and  she  made  her  brags  that 
she'd  get  him  to  sign  the  pledge.  And  she  did,  but  only 
by  puttin'  it  in  front  of  him  when  he  was  too  drunk  to 
read  it." 

The  lawyer  laughed  heartily.  "  So  you  think  Mrs. 
Corcoran  Dunn  resembles  her,  do  you,"  he  observed. 

"  In  one  way  —  yes.  Both  of  'em  sacrifice  everything 
else  to  one  idea.  Pashy's  was  gettin'  that  pledge  signed, 
and  never  mind  ways  and  means.  Mrs.  Dunn's  is  money 
and  position  —  never  mind  how  they  come.  See  what 
I'm  drivin'  at?" 

Sylvester  laughed  again.  "  I  guess  so,"  he  said. 
"  Captain  Warren,  I  never  saw  you  in  better  spirits.  Do 
you  know  what  I  think?  I  think  that,  for  a  chap  who 
has  just  given  away  half  of  a  good-sized  fortune  and  in 
tends  giving  away  the  other  half,  you're  the  most  cheer 
ful  specimen  I  ever  saw." 

The  captain  laughed,  too.  "  I  am,  ain't  I,"  he  said. 
"  Well,  I  can  say  truthful  what  I  never  expected  to  say 

379 


CAP'N  WARREN'S  WARDS 

in  my  life  —  that  once  I  was  wuth  ha'f  a  million  dollars. 
As  for  the  rest  of  it,  I'm  like  that  millionaire  —  that 

.    .    Hi  !    Look  !    There  comes  Dan  !     See  him  !  " 

They  peered  eagerly  over  the  fence.  The  Warren 
"  two-seater  "  had  rounded  the  bend  in  the  road.  Dan 
was  driving.  Beside  him  sat  a  young  fellow  who  waved 
his  hand. 

"  Steve  !  "  cried  the  captain,  excitedly.  "  There's 
Steve  !  And  —  and  —  yes,  there's  somebody  on  the  back 
seat.  It's  Jim  1  He's  come  !  Hooray  !  " 

He  was  darting  out  of  the  gate,  but  his  friend  seized 
his  coat 

"  Wait,"  he  cried.  "  I  don't  want  to  lose  the  rest  of 
that  sentence.  You  said  you  were  like  some  million 
aire.  Who?" 

"Don't  bother  me,"  cried  Captain  Elisha.  "Who? 
Why,  I  was  goin*  to  say  I  was  like  that  millionaire  chap 
who  passes  out  a  library  every  time  he  wakes  up  and 
happens  to  think  of  it.  You  know  who  I  mean.  .  .  . 
Ahoy  there,  Jim  !  Ahoy,  Steve  !  " 

He  was  waving  his  hand  to  the  passengers  in  the  ap 
proaching  vehicle. 

"  Yes,"  prompted  his  friend,  hastily,  "  I  know  who 
you  mean  —  Carnegie." 

"  That's  the  feller.  I've  come  to  feel  about  the  way 
he  says  be  does  —  that  'twould  be  a  crime  for  me  to  die 
rich." 


THE   END. 


ERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


A    000  1 1 1  204    4 


